Freetown: population and official figures
What is the population of Freetown?
Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, had 1,200,230 inhabitants (city proper) on 1 July 2020, according to an official estimate (people present) reported to the United Nations.
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyHow does Freetown rank among cities in Sierra Leone?
Of the 4 cities the UN table lists for Sierra Leone (capitals and places of 100,000 or more), it is the largest.
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyHow many women and men live in Freetown?
Women and girls made up 50.8% of residents (609,802 female, 590,428 male).
Source: United Nations Statistics Division · saved copyThe UN marks this figure as an estimate of lower reliability.
Who runs Freetown?
In Sierra Leone, cities and towns are run by local councils: Councillors elected (by proportional representation since 2023); mayors and chairpersons directly elected; paramount chief councillors also sit on councils. Main local government: devolved functions such as primary health, primary schools, local roads, waste; property rates and local taxes (Local Government Act 2022, which replaced the 2004 Act).
How local power works in Sierra Leone
Up a level: all cities in Sierra Leone · Sierra Leone · government and power
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, technical notes to Table 8, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0d2d6d8ccd6…)
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