Share of schools with access to basic drinking water in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of schools with access to basic drinking water was 50.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of schools with access to basic drinking water in Sierra Leone, 2015–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 50.1% for share of schools with access to basic drinking water in 2024.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of schools with access to basic drinking water in Sierra Leone peaked at 69.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 31.8%, in 2019.
That places Sierra Leone 110th out of 117 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of schools with access to basic drinking water in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 67.7% | — |
| 2017 | 51.5% | -23.9% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 31.8% | -38.3% |
| 2020 | 53.5% | +68.1% |
| 2021 | 69.3% | +29.5% |
| 2023 | 49.8% | -28.1% |
| 2024 | 50.1% | +0.5% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 50.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 74.5%, 67% of the median. (9 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 50.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 74.5%, 67% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 50.6% | 31.8% | 67.7% | 4 |
| 2020s | 55.7% | 49.8% | 69.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 107 Benin 53.0% compare
- 108 Pakistan 50.9% compare
- 109 Solomon Islands 50.1% compare
- 111 Philippines 46.6% compare
- 112 Mauritania 45.1%
- 113 Cameroon 44.8% 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 share of schools with access to basic drinking water in Sierra Leone?
- Share of schools with access to basic drinking water in Sierra Leone was 50.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of schools with access to basic drinking water recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 69.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of schools with access to basic drinking water recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.8% in 2019.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of schools with access to basic drinking water?
- Sierra Leone ranks 110th out of 117 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of schools with access to basic drinking water rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. 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 – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of schools with access to basic drinking water. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of schools with access to basic drinking water, by education level (%).