School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes was 209,385 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
209,385
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
84th
of 222 countries
All-time high
209,515
in 2024
All-time low
59,331
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone stood at 209,385.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone peaked at 209,515 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 59,331, in 1970.
Sierra Leone ranks 84th of 222 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 59,331 | — |
| 1971 | 60,983 | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 62,747 | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 64,560 | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 66,225 | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 68,050 | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 69,745 | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 71,175 | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 72,890 | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 74,710 | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 76,173 | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 77,847 | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 79,680 | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 81,564 | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 83,565 | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 85,744 | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 88,544 | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 91,051 | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 93,669 | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 96,535 | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 99,302 | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 105,002 | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 101,841 | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 101,462 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 102,036 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 102,944 | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 103,187 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 104,580 | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 106,357 | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 107,457 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 107,793 | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 112,303 | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 121,181 | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 126,842 | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 132,392 | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 137,223 | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 140,679 | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 143,141 | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 148,167 | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 153,018 | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 158,140 | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 162,849 | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 167,339 | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 171,405 | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 176,054 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 178,972 | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 180,000 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 183,722 | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 188,927 | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 192,584 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 197,183 | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 200,700 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 203,548 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 207,053 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 209,515 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 209,385 | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 67,042 | 59,331 | 74,710 | 10 |
| 1980s | 85,437 | 76,173 | 96,535 | 10 |
| 1990s | 103,417 | 99,302 | 107,457 | 10 |
| 2000s | 132,274 | 107,793 | 153,018 | 10 |
| 2010s | 175,999 | 158,140 | 192,584 | 10 |
| 2020s | 204,564 | 197,183 | 209,515 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 81 Papua New Guinea 226,155 compare
- 82 Tunisia 221,540 compare
- 83 Honduras 214,609 compare
- 85 Romania 203,679 compare
- 86 Dominican Republic 190,906 compare
- 87 Netherlands 187,030 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 school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone?
- School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone was 209,385 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 209,515 in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 59,331 in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes?
- Sierra Leone ranks 84th out of 222 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. 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, published as part of School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release