Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary was 162.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Sierra Leone, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 162.1% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2024.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 35.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Sierra Leone peaked at 163.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.7%, in 1973.
That places Sierra Leone 2nd out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 34.8% | — |
| 1972 | 36.1% | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 33.7% | -6.6% |
| 1974 | 35.4% | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 36.4% | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 38.3% | +5.1% |
| 1977 | 39.8% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 40.6% | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 51.9% | +27.9% |
| 1981 | 52.3% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 56.2% | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 55.4% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 58.8% | +6.2% |
| 1985 | 62.5% | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 61.8% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 58.4% | -5.5% |
| 1989 | 53.1% | -9.1% |
| 1990 | 51.1% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 45.3% | -11.3% |
| 2000 | 63.3% | +39.5% |
| 2001 | 75.6% | +19.6% |
| 2011 | 114.6% | +51.5% |
| 2012 | 117.7% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 119.8% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 120.7% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 123.0% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 126.9% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 114.6% | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 145.6% | +27.1% |
| 2020 | 142.8% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 157.7% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 163.2% | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 159.4% | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 162.1% | +1.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 162.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 96.8%, 1.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 162.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 100.4%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +51.5% | 75.6% | 114.6% |
| 2000 | +39.5% | 45.3% | 63.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 36.9% | 33.7% | 40.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 56.7% | 51.9% | 62.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 48.2% | 45.3% | 51.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 69.4% | 63.3% | 75.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 122.9% | 114.6% | 145.6% | 8 |
| 2020s | 157.0% | 142.8% | 163.2% | 5 |
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 primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Sierra Leone?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Sierra Leone was 162.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 163.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.7% in 1973.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Sierra Leone ranks 2nd out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.