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By 2026, Sierra Leone is projected to be home to 8,996,745 people. That is a 4-fold increase on the 1,999,623 recorded in 1950. It is expanding at +1.96% a year, adding about 176.6K people a year. Settlement is fairly dense, at 125 people/km². Half the population is younger than 19.9 years, and the age structure is steadily tilting older: the median is projected to reach 26.3 by 2050. The sexes are close to evenly balanced, at 100 males per 100 females. By 2100, UN projections see it rising to 15,934,256, up 77% from 2026.
Total population
8,996,745
Density
125 people/km²
Median age
19.9 years
Growth rate
+1.96%
Sierra Leone is experiencing rapid population growth, adding hundreds of thousands of people each year. The population is aging rapidly; median age will rise from 20 in 2026 to 26 by 2050. UN projections show continued growth to 15.9M by 2100.