Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 49.2% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
49.2%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
190th
of 200 countries
All-time high
51.3%
in 2011
All-time low
49.2%
in 2018
Years of data
10
2011–2021
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sierra Leone, 2011–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sierra Leone stood at 49.2%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sierra Leone peaked at 51.3% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 49.2%, in 2018.
Sierra Leone ranks 190th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 51.3% | — |
| 2012 | 50.3% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 50.0% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 49.7% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 49.8% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 49.6% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 49.2% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 49.5% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 49.3% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 49.2% | -0.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 49.2% is below the median for low income countries, which is 51.5%, 96% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 49.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.5%, 96% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 49.9% | 49.2% | 51.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 49.3% | 49.2% | 49.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sierra Leone?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Sierra Leone was 49.2% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 51.3% in 2011.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.2% in 2018.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Sierra Leone ranks 190th out of 200 countries with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release