School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) was 618,066 in 2025. ▲ Rising
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone stood at 618,066. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 20.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone peaked at 618,066 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 267,715, in 1970.
Sierra Leone ranks 89th of 220 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, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 267,715 | — |
| 1971 | 275,546 | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 283,046 | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 290,838 | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 298,812 | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 306,796 | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 315,003 | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 323,135 | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 331,424 | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 339,633 | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 348,071 | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 356,335 | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 364,431 | +2.3% |
| 1983 | 372,997 | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 381,979 | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 391,048 | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 400,795 | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 413,283 | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 426,200 | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 439,380 | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 451,403 | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 479,014 | +6.1% |
| 1992 | 465,409 | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 463,449 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 465,313 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 469,209 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 469,004 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 476,154 | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 299,670 | -37.1% |
| 1999 | 302,650 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 305,062 | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 319,059 | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 343,043 | +7.5% |
| 2003 | 357,718 | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 372,223 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 384,833 | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 396,501 | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 405,802 | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 416,419 | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 428,479 | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 443,085 | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 458,357 | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 472,901 | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 486,501 | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 499,630 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 512,595 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 524,166 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 533,202 | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 540,984 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 550,792 | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 563,235 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 576,942 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 588,737 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 599,535 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 609,274 | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 618,066 | +1.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 618,066 is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.02 million, 31% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 618,066 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.12 million, 55% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | -37.1% | 476,154 | 299,670 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 303,195 | 267,715 | 339,633 | 10 |
| 1980s | 389,452 | 348,071 | 439,380 | 10 |
| 1990s | 434,128 | 299,670 | 479,014 | 10 |
| 2000s | 372,914 | 305,062 | 428,479 | 10 |
| 2010s | 502,221 | 443,085 | 550,792 | 10 |
| 2020s | 592,632 | 563,235 | 618,066 | 6 |
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 school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone was 618,066 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 618,066 in 2025.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 267,715 in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- Sierra Leone ranks 89th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.6%. 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, lower secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release