Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban was 16.1% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Sierra Leone, 2008–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 16.1% for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 27.7% on the previous year and down 27.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Sierra Leone peaked at 24.3% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 2019.
Sierra Leone ranks 28th of 69 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 22.2% | — |
| 2010 | 24.3% | +9.2% |
| 2013 | 20.6% | -15.1% |
| 2017 | 22.3% | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 16.1% | -27.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 16.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 33.1%, 49% of the median. (9 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 16.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.5%, 48% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.2% | 22.2% | 22.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 20.8% | 16.1% | 24.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 25 Kyrgyzstan 20.1% compare
- 26 Jordan 17.7% compare
- 27 South Africa 16.3%
- 29 Nepal 15.4% compare
- 30 Kenya 13.9% compare
- 31 El Salvador 13.5% 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 youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Sierra Leone?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Sierra Leone was 16.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 2010.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 2019.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban?
- Sierra Leone ranks 28th out of 69 countries with data for 2019.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.5%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, urban, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release