Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest was 33.6% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
33.6%
Change on year
up 5.2%
World rank
5th
of 31 countries
All-time high
46.5%
in 2010
All-time low
29.9%
in 2013
Years of data
5
2008–2019

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone, 2008–2019

010203040502008201320192008: 34.7 %2010: 46.5 %2013: 29.9 %2017: 31.9 %2019: 33.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone is 33.6%, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of up 5.2% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone peaked at 46.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 29.9%, in 2013.

Sierra Leone ranks 5th of 31 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%) in Sierra Leone, 2008 to 2019.
Year % Change
2008 34.7%
2010 46.5% +33.8%
2013 29.9% -35.7%
2017 31.9% +6.8%
2019 33.6% +5.2%

Sierra Leone compared with similar countries

  • Sierra Leone's 33.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 20.3%, 1.7× the median. (6 countries reporting)
  • Sierra Leone's 33.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.5%, 1.2× the median. (10 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34.7% 34.7% 34.7% 1
2010s 35.5% 29.9% 46.5% 4

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 2 Senegal 47.9% compare
  2. 3 Benin 35.5% compare
  3. 4 Mozambique 33.8% compare
  4. 6 Mali 21.5% compare
  5. 7 Ghana 21.0% compare
  6. 8 Gambia 19.1% compare

See the full ranking of 31 places →

More education data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone?
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone was 33.6% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2010.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 29.9% in 2013.
How does Sierra Leone rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest?
Sierra Leone ranks 5th out of 31 countries with data for 2019.
Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. 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 children of primary school age, urban, poorest quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest in Sierra Leone. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-of-primary-school-age-urban-poorest-quintile-both-sexes-2/sierra-leone/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, poorest quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
31 places, 393 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release