Share of primary schools with access to drinking water in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of primary schools with access to drinking water was 50.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of primary schools with access to drinking water in Sierra Leone, 2017–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of primary schools with access to drinking water in Sierra Leone stood at 50.1%.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
That places Sierra Leone 110th out of 116 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of primary schools with access to drinking water in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 51.5% | — |
| 2018 | 51.6% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 31.8% | -38.3% |
| 2020 | 53.5% | +68.1% |
| 2021 | 69.3% | +29.6% |
| 2023 | 49.8% | -28.1% |
| 2024 | 50.1% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 45.0% | 31.8% | 51.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 55.7% | 49.8% | 69.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 107 Benin 53.0% compare
- 108 Pakistan 50.9% compare
- 109 Solomon Islands 50.1% compare
- 111 Philippines 46.6% compare
- 112 Mauritania 45.1%
- 113 Cameroon 44.8% compare
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.122 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.1173 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 19.82 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 46,575 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of primary schools with access to drinking water in Sierra Leone?
- Share of primary schools with access to drinking water in Sierra Leone was 50.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of primary schools with access to drinking water recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 69.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of primary schools with access to drinking water recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.8% in 2019.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of primary schools with access to drinking water?
- Sierra Leone ranks 110th out of 116 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of primary schools with access to drinking water rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of primary schools with access to drinking water. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of public primary schools with a drinking water facility or water delivery point that is designed to protect water from external contamination, particularly of fecal origin.