Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 15.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sierra Leone, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 15.7% for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sierra Leone peaked at 15.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 1960.
Sierra Leone ranks 88th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.2% | — |
| 1961 | 5.3% | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 5.4% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 5.5% | +1.9% |
| 1964 | 5.7% | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 6.0% | +4.9% |
| 1966 | 6.3% | +4.9% |
| 1967 | 6.6% | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 6.9% | +4.8% |
| 1969 | 7.3% | +4.8% |
| 1970 | 7.6% | +4.8% |
| 1971 | 8.0% | +4.8% |
| 1972 | 8.4% | +4.9% |
| 1973 | 8.8% | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 9.2% | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 9.5% | +3.9% |
| 1976 | 9.9% | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 10.2% | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 10.5% | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 10.8% | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 11.1% | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 11.5% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 11.8% | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 12.1% | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 12.5% | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 12.8% | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 13.0% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 12.9% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 12.9% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 12.9% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 12.8% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 12.9% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 13.5% | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 13.9% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 14.2% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 14.5% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 14.9% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 15.0% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 15.3% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 15.6% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 15.6% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 14.4% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 14.3% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 14.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 14.4% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 14.5% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 14.5% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 14.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 14.5% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 14.6% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 14.7% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 14.7% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 14.9% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 15.0% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 15.0% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 15.2% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 15.3% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 15.4% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 15.5% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 15.6% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 15.7% | +0.9% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 15.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 12.1%, 1.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 15.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 1.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.0% | 5.2% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.3% | 7.6% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.4% | 11.1% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.3% | 12.8% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 14.3% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.8% | 14.5% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 15.2% | 15.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More climate change data for Sierra Leone
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 3.65 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,547 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 538.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,008 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 36.02 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,431 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 201.66 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,229 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.761 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sierra Leone?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sierra Leone was 15.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 15.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 1960.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Sierra Leone ranks 88th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.