Primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Primary education, teachers was 46,575 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
46,575
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
85th
of 204 countries
All-time high
49,768
in 2018
All-time low
5,142
in 1971
Years of data
31
1971–2024

Primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone, 1971–2024

10.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k1971199720241971: 5.1k1972: 5.6k1975: 6.0k1976: 6.4k1977: 6.8k1978: 7.1k1980: 9.1k1981: 9.5k1982: 10.0k1983: 10.5k1984: 11.3k1985: 12.2k1986: 10.8k1988: 13.6k1989: 13.1k1990: 11.3k1991: 10.8k2001: 14.9k2011: 38.1k2012: 38.0k2013: 37.3k2015: 40.3k2016: 37.8k2017: 37.7k2018: 49.8k2019: 47.7k2020: 46.7k2021: 43.7k2022: 48.4k2023: 46.0k2024: 46.6k

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

Sierra Leone recorded 46,575 for primary education, teachers in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 24.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone peaked at 49,768 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5,142, in 1971.

That places Sierra Leone 85th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone, 1971 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1971 5,142
1972 5,599 +8.9%
1975 5,993 +7.0%
1976 6,373 +6.3%
1977 6,790 +6.5%
1978 7,088 +4.4%
1980 9,056 +27.8%
1981 9,528 +5.2%
1982 10,025 +5.2%
1983 10,451 +4.2%
1984 11,311 +8.2%
1985 12,215 +8.0%
1986 10,837 -11.3%
1988 13,640 +25.9%
1989 13,120 -3.8%
1990 11,280 -14.0%
1991 10,850 -3.8%
2001 14,875 +37.1%
2011 38,125 +156.3%
2012 37,957 -0.4%
2013 37,317 -1.7%
2015 40,303 +8.0%
2016 37,837 -6.1%
2017 37,703 -0.4%
2018 49,768 +32.0%
2019 47,738 -4.1%
2020 46,677 -2.2%
2021 43,747 -6.3%
2022 48,414 +10.7%
2023 46,007 -5.0%
2024 46,575 +1.2%

Sierra Leone compared with similar countries

  • Sierra Leone's 46,575 is below the median for low income countries, which is 68,981, 68% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
  • Sierra Leone's 46,575 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50,688, 92% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2011 +156.3% 14,875 38,125

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6,164 5,142 7,088 6
1980s 11,131 9,056 13,640 9
1990s 11,065 10,850 11,280 2
2000s 14,875 14,875 14,875 1
2010s 40,844 37,317 49,768 8
2020s 46,284 43,747 48,414 5

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 82 Norway 51,889 compare
  2. 83 Honduras 49,996 compare
  3. 84 Romania 47,769 compare
  4. 86 Cambodia 46,016 compare
  5. 87 Haiti 44,472 compare
  6. 88 Guinea 43,914 compare

See the full ranking of 249 places →

More education data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone?
Primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone was 46,575 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, teachers recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 49,768 in 2018.
What is the lowest primary education, teachers recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 5,142 in 1971.
How does Sierra Leone rank for primary education, teachers?
Sierra Leone ranks 85th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
Is primary education, teachers rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, teachers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary education, teachers in Sierra Leone. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-teachers/sierra-leone/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary education, teachers
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
249 places, 9,469 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.