Share of population using safely managed sanitation in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of population using safely managed sanitation was 16.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using safely managed sanitation in Sierra Leone, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 16.8% for share of population using safely managed sanitation in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 63.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using safely managed sanitation in Sierra Leone peaked at 16.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2000.
That places Sierra Leone 136th out of 150 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population using safely managed sanitation in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.0% | — |
| 2001 | 5.1% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 5.3% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 5.4% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 5.8% | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 6.2% | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | +6.5% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 8.3% | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 9.3% | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 9.8% | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 10.3% | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 10.8% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 12.1% | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 13.3% | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 14.0% | +5.0% |
| 2021 | 14.7% | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 15.4% | +4.8% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 16.8% | +4.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 16.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 20.0%, 84% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 16.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 23.6%, 72% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.2% | 5.0% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.7% | 8.3% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 14.0% | 16.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0238 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.5935 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0797 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.044 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.6534 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population using safely managed sanitation in Sierra Leone?
- Share of population using safely managed sanitation in Sierra Leone was 16.8% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using safely managed sanitation recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of population using safely managed sanitation?
- Sierra Leone ranks 136th out of 150 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using safely managed sanitation rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 63.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population using safely managed sanitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Proportion of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed in situ or transported and treated off-site.