This article is about the demographic

Demographics

Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...

 features of the population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...

, including population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

, ethnicity

Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...

, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The demographics of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...

is made up of an indigenous population from 18 ethnic groups. The Temne in the north and the Mende

Mende people

The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...

 in the South are the largest. About 60,000 are Krio, the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone from Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

, North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 and slave

Slavery

Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...

 ships captured on the high seas. In addition, about 5,000 Lebanese

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, 1000 India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

ns, and 5,000 Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

ans reside in the country.

In the past, Sierra Leoneans were noted for their education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

al achievements, trading activity, entrepreneurial skills, and arts and crafts work, particularly woodcarving

Wood carving

Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...

. 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

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...

 has declined sharply over the last 30 years.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

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.)

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

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...

, 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.)

Ethnic groups

20 native African tribes 90% (Temne 30%, Mende

Mende people

The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...

 30%, other 30%)

Creole

Creole peoples

The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...

 10% (descendants of freed Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

n 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

Languages

English (official, regular use limited to literate minority)

Mende

Mende language

Mende is a major language of Sierra Leone, with some speakers in neighboring Liberia. It is spoken by the Mende people and by other ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone....

 (principal vernacular in the south)

Temne

Temne language

Temne is a language of the Atlantic subfamily of Niger–Congo languages spoken in Sierra Leone by about 2 million first speakers. One of the country's most widely spoken languages, it is spoken by 30% of the country’s population...

 (principal vernacular in the north)

Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and West Indian slaves and Liberated Africans who were settled in the Freetown

Freetown

Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...

 area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)

Bengali

Bengali language

Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...

 was named an official language in 2002 although it is not native to Sierra Leone

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 Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...	Krio	28%
Bo Bo, Sierra Leone Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...	Mende Mende people The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...	47%
Kenema	Mende Mende people The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...	45%
Koidu Town	Kono Kono people The Kono people is a major ethnic group in Sierra Leone at about 7.6% of the country's total population. Their homeland is the diamond-rich Kono District in south-eastern Sierra Leone. They form by far the single largest ethnic group in the district at about 52% of the population...	40%
Makeni Makeni Makeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900...	Temne	43%
Magburaka Magburaka Magburaka is the capital and largest city of Tonkolili District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It is the second largest city in the Northern Province after Makeni and the 6th largest city in Sierra Leone with a population of 66,313 It is located at around , along the Rokel River...	Temne	46%
Kabala Kabala, Sierra Leone Kabala is the capital and largest town of Koinadugu District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, with a population of 14,108 in the 2004 census, and a current estimate of 18,770 Kabala is one of the main cities in northern Sierra Leone and is set in a rural landscape...	Mandingo Mandinka people The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....	38%
Kailahun Kailahun Kailahun is the capital of Kailahun District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies 300 miles east of Freetown and with a population of 25,210. The population of Kailahun is largely from the Mende ethnic group and the Mende language along with the Krio language are widely spoken...	Mende Mende people The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...	50%
Bonthe Bonthe Bonthe is a town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District of the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town had a population of 9,535 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate of 10,206. In colonial times it used to be a major trading centre for piassava and other agricultural products...	Sherbro Sherbro people The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...	40%
Port Loko Port Loko Port Loko is the capital and second largest city of Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city lies about , as the crow flies, north-east of the nation's capital Freetown and had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census Port Loko lies on Banka Soka River, which flows...	Temne	50%
Moyamba Moyamba Moyamba is the capital and largest city of Moyamba District, in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, with a population of 11,485 in the 2004 census. The city is about 48 miles southeast of the capital, Freetown. The population of the city is ethnically diverse although the Mende people make up...	Mende Mende people The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...	42%
Kambia Kambia Kampia is a village close to Almirida on the north west coast of the island of Crete, Greece. It is located in Apokoronas, Chania Prefecture.Kampia is a small village with one street and a couple of lanes. There are no services here but shops and tavernas can be found in Plaka, the next village or...	Temne	38%