Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 45.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
45.9%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
173rd
of 238 countries
All-time high
45.9%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone is 45.9%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone peaked at 45.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Sierra Leone 173rd out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.4% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 1.2% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 1.4% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 1.8% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 2.0% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 2.1% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 2.3% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 2.6% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 2.8% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 3.1% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 3.4% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 3.7% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 4.0% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 4.4% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 4.8% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 5.3% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 5.8% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 6.4% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 7.0% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 7.6% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 8.4% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 9.2% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 10.0% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 11.0% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 12.4% | +13.1% |
| 1951 | 12.9% | +3.7% |
| 1952 | 13.4% | +3.7% |
| 1953 | 13.9% | +3.6% |
| 1954 | 14.3% | +3.5% |
| 1955 | 14.8% | +3.5% |
| 1956 | 15.3% | +3.4% |
| 1957 | 15.9% | +3.3% |
| 1958 | 16.4% | +3.3% |
| 1959 | 16.9% | +3.2% |
| 1960 | 17.4% | +3.1% |
| 1961 | 18.0% | +3.1% |
| 1962 | 18.5% | +3.0% |
| 1963 | 19.0% | +3.0% |
| 1964 | 19.7% | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 20.3% | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 21.1% | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 21.9% | +3.8% |
| 1968 | 22.7% | +3.8% |
| 1969 | 23.5% | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 24.4% | +3.5% |
| 1971 | 25.2% | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 25.9% | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 26.6% | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 27.2% | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 27.8% | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 28.3% | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 28.8% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 29.3% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 29.8% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 30.2% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 30.6% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 31.0% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 31.4% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 31.8% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 32.1% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 32.4% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 32.7% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 33.0% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 33.2% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 33.5% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 33.7% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 33.9% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 34.1% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 34.3% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 34.5% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 34.7% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 34.9% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 35.1% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 35.3% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 35.5% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 35.8% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 36.0% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 36.3% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 36.5% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 36.8% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 37.2% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 37.5% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 37.9% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 38.2% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 38.6% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 39.0% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 39.5% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 39.9% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 40.3% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 40.8% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 41.2% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 41.7% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 42.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 42.7% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 43.2% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 43.7% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 44.3% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 44.8% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 45.4% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 45.9% | +1.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 45.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 34.5%, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 45.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1710s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1720s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1730s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1740s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1750s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1760s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1770s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1780s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1 |
| 1790s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1800s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
| 1810s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1 |
| 1820s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 1 |
| 1830s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1840s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
| 1850s | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1 |
| 1860s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1 |
| 1870s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 1 |
| 1890s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 1 |
| 1910s | 8.4% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 1 |
| 1920s | 9.2% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 1 |
| 1930s | 10.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 11.0% | 11.0% | 11.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 14.6% | 12.4% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 20.2% | 17.4% | 23.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.3% | 24.4% | 29.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.8% | 30.2% | 33.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.4% | 33.5% | 35.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.8% | 35.5% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.6% | 38.6% | 42.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.6% | 43.2% | 45.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 170 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 48.0% compare
- 171 Turkmenistan 47.1% compare
- 172 Guinea-Bissau 46.7% compare
- 174 Zambia 45.9% compare
- 175 Seychelles 45.5% compare
- 176 Democratic Republic of Congo 45.1% compare
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 do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Sierra Leone was 45.9% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 45.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Sierra Leone ranks 173rd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.