Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school was 25.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Sierra Leone, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Sierra Leone stood at 25.0%. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 307.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Sierra Leone peaked at 25.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 2001.
Sierra Leone ranks 154th of 178 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4.0% | — |
| 2012 | 7.7% | +91.7% |
| 2013 | 6.1% | -20.4% |
| 2015 | 7.8% | +27.6% |
| 2016 | 10.9% | +38.9% |
| 2017 | 11.7% | +7.9% |
| 2018 | 12.9% | +10.5% |
| 2020 | 21.3% | +64.8% |
| 2021 | 24.3% | +13.8% |
| 2022 | 24.6% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 24.4% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 25.0% | +2.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 25.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 19.8%, 1.3× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 25.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.4%, 98% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 9.5% | 6.1% | 12.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 23.9% | 21.3% | 25.0% | 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 share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Sierra Leone?
- Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Sierra Leone was 25.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children enrolled in pre-primary school recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 25.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children enrolled in pre-primary school recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 2001.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of children enrolled in pre-primary school?
- Sierra Leone ranks 154th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children enrolled in pre-primary school rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 307.7%. 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 Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of pre-primary school age (typically 3–5 years old) who are enrolled in pre-primary education.