School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 1.25 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 1.25 million number for school age population, primary education, both sexes in 2020. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 21.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone peaked at 1.25 million number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 464,998 number, in 1970.
That places Sierra Leone 81st out of 206 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 464,998 number | — |
| 1971 | 474,688 number | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 490,014 number | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 505,981 number | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 521,437 number | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 535,217 number | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 546,440 number | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 563,135 number | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 580,914 number | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 598,536 number | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 614,634 number | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 628,055 number | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 646,481 number | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 665,049 number | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 683,308 number | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 700,989 number | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 717,633 number | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 742,743 number | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 770,943 number | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 798,508 number | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 820,972 number | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 835,184 number | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 845,752 number | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 850,216 number | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 849,980 number | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 847,105 number | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 842,968 number | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 713,199 number | -15.4% |
| 1998 | 719,622 number | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 729,787 number | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 743,729 number | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 760,652 number | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 789,695 number | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 825,220 number | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 863,075 number | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 898,497 number | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 928,572 number | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 956,299 number | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 981,540 number | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 1.00 million number | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 1.03 million number | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 1.05 million number | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 1.07 million number | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 1.10 million number | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 1.13 million number | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 1.17 million number | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 1.19 million number | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 1.19 million number | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.21 million number | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 1.23 million number | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 1.25 million number | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 528,136 number | 464,998 number | 598,536 number | 10 |
| 1980s | 696,834 number | 614,634 number | 798,508 number | 10 |
| 1990s | 805,478 number | 713,199 number | 850,216 number | 10 |
| 2000s | 875,227 number | 743,729 number | 1.00 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.14 million number | 1.03 million number | 1.23 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.25 million number | 1.25 million number | 1.25 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0497 % change on previous year (2014)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 46,575 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 59.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 37.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in Sierra Leone was 1.25 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 1.25 million number in 2020.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 464,998 number in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- Sierra Leone ranks 81st out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.2%. 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, primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.