Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 6.2% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Latest (2019)
6.2%
Change on year
down 61.3%
World rank
12th
of 28 countries
All-time high
19.0%
in 2008
All-time low
5.5%
in 2013
Years of data
5
2008–2019
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Sierra Leone, 2008–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Sierra Leone is 6.2%, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of down 61.3% on the previous year and down 67.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Sierra Leone peaked at 19.0% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2013.
Sierra Leone ranks 12th of 28 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 19.0% | — |
| 2010 | 11.1% | -41.4% |
| 2013 | 5.5% | -50.3% |
| 2017 | 16.0% | +188.9% |
| 2019 | 6.2% | -61.3% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 6.2% is below the median for low income countries, which is 7.3%, 85% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 6.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.5%, 65% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.0% | 19.0% | 19.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 9.7% | 5.5% | 16.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 9 Malawi 7.3% compare
- 10 Mozambique 7.1% compare
- 11 Bangladesh 7.1% compare
- 13 Mexico 6.0% compare
- 13 El Salvador 6.0% compare
- 15 Paraguay 5.2% compare
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 73,295 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,708 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 92,723 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2393 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Sierra Leone?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Sierra Leone was 6.2% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2008.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2013.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Sierra Leone ranks 12th out of 28 countries with data for 2019.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, rural, richest quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release