- Demographics of Sierra Leone
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This article is about the demographic features of the population of Sierra Leone, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The demographics of Sierra Leone is made up of an indigenous population from 18 ethnic groups. The Temne in the north and the Mende in the South are the largest. About 60,000 are Krio, the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone from Great Britain, North America and slave ships captured on the high seas. In addition, about 5,000 Lebanese, 1000 Indians, and 5,000 Europeans reside in the country.
In the past, Sierra Leoneans were noted for their educational achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and arts and crafts work, particularly woodcarving. Many are part of larger ethnic networks extending into several countries, which link West African states in the area. However, the level of education and infrastructure has declined sharply over the last 30 years.[1]
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Population
- 6,017,643 (July 2005 est.); 5,732,681 (July 2003 est.); 5,232,624 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 41.8% (male 1,113,528/female 1,130,112)
- 15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,401,907/female 1,522,335)
- 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 86,614/female 109,173) (2011 est.)
- 0–14 years: 44.7% (male 1,318,508/female 1,371,164)
- 15–64 years: 52% (male 1,494,068/female 1,637,276)
- 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 93,047/female 103,580) (2005 est.)
- 0–14 years: 44.73% (male 1,148,264; female 1,192,533)
- 15–64 years: 52.16% (male 1,305,039; female 1,424,076)
- 65 years and over: 3.11% (male 81,291; female 81,421) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate
- 2.30% (2006 est.)
Birth rate
- 38.46 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
- 42.84 births/1,000 population (2005 est)
- 45.63 births/1,000 population (2000 est)
Death rate
- 11.73 deaths/1,000 population (2011 est.)
- 20.61 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
- 19.58 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
- 6.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
- 10.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning
Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
- 15–64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
- at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
- 15–64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
- at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
- 15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Maternal Mortality Ratio
- 2000 deaths/100 000 births (2000 est.).
Sierra Leone's MMR is the worst of any country in the world, according to the 2000 WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA report.
Infant mortality rate
- total: 143.64 deaths/1,000 live births
- female: 161.06 deaths/1,000 live births
- male: 125.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
- total: 146.86 deaths/1,000 live births
- female: 128.96 deaths/1,000 live births
- male: 164.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
- total: 148.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 39.87 years
- male: 37.74 years
- female: 42.06 years (2005 est.)
- total population: 42.84 years
- male: 40.33 years
- female: 45.42 years (2003 est.)
- total population: 45.25 years
- male: 42.37 years
- female: 48.21 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 4.94 children born/woman (2011 est.)
- 4.97 children born/woman (2010 est.)
- 5.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)
- 5.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)
- 6.08 children born/woman (2000 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: 7% (2001 est.)
- people living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000 (2001 est.)
- deaths: 11,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality
- noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
- adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups
- 20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%)
- Creole 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century)
- Refugees from Liberia's recent civil war
- Small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Religions
- Muslim 46%
- indigenous beliefs 29%
- Christian 25%
Languages
- English (official, regular use limited to literate minority)
- Mende (principal vernacular in the south)
- Temne (principal vernacular in the north)
- Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed American and West Indian slaves and Liberated Africans who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
- Bengali was named an official language in 2002 although it is not native to Sierra Leone[2]
Literacy
Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
- Total population: 29.6%
- Male: 39.8%
- Female: 20.5% (2000 est.)
- Total population: 31.4%
- Male: 45.4%
- Female: 18.2% (1995 est.)
Cities with the highest percentage of a single ethnic group
City largest ethnic group percentage of population Freetown Krio 28% Bo Mende 47% Kenema Mende 45% Koidu Town Kono 40% Makeni Temne 43% Magburaka Temne 46% Kabala Mandingo 38% Kailahun Mende 50% Bonthe Sherbro 40% Port Loko Temne 50% Moyamba Mende 42% Kambia Temne 38% References
- ^ "Sierra Leone (02/08)". "U.S. Department of State". http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5475.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- ^ http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_29-12-2002_pg9_6
Demographics of Africa Sovereign
states- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Republic of the Congo
- Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Swaziland
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
States with limited
recognition- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- Somaliland
Dependencies and
other territories- Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain)
- Madeira (Portugal)
- Mayotte / Réunion (France)
- Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)
- Western Sahara
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