Sierra Leone: health and care

What is the infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone's infant mortality rate was 75 deaths per 1,000 live births and the under-5 mortality rate 122 per 1,000 in the five years before the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey, according to Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL).

The survey is the most recent national demographic and health survey published on the Stats SL site, so the figures describe roughly 2014 to 2019. In the same survey the total fertility rate was 4.2 births per woman, down from 4.9 in 2013 and 5.1 in 2008. Stats SL reports that it is working with the Ministry of Health on an implementation plan for a new Demographic and Health Survey.

Official sources: Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL)

What is life expectancy in Sierra Leone?

Life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone was 62.4 years in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. It was 60.9 years in 2022 and 60.5 years in 2021.

Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn would live if death rates at each age stayed as they were that year. It is pulled down strongly by deaths in childhood and childbirth. WHO estimates the under-5 mortality rate at 90.5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, down from 97.1 in 2022.

Official sources: World Health Organization

How many women die in childbirth in Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone's maternal mortality ratio was 354 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, according to WHO estimates. It was 370 in 2022 and 403 in 2021.

The ratio counts deaths of women during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days afterwards from related causes. The 2019 Demographic and Health Survey measured 717 deaths per 100,000 live births; the survey and model estimates use different methods and periods. In the same survey, 86.9% of births were attended by skilled health personnel.

Official sources: WHO estimates · 2019 Demographic and Health Survey

How many doctors and nurses does Sierra Leone have?

Sierra Leone had 1.34 medical doctors per 10,000 people in 2022, according to the World Health Organization. It had 11.63 nurses and midwives per 10,000 people.

The doctor density was 0.73 per 10,000 in 2020 and 0.33 in 2019, and the nurse and midwife density 8.65 in 2019. The figures come from national health workforce accounts reported to WHO. Changes between years can reflect improved counting of health workers as well as real growth.

Official sources: World Health Organization · 11.63 nurses and midwives

How much does Sierra Leone spend on health?

Current health spending in Sierra Leone was 4.72% of GDP in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. Out-of-pocket payments by households made up 54.5% of that spending.

Government health spending from domestic sources was 4.47% of general government spending in 2023, according to the World Bank. Out-of-pocket payments are made directly by patients at the point of care, without insurance. Their share was 51.4% in 2021 and 54.9% in 2022.

Official sources: World Health Organization · Out-of-pocket payments · 4.47% of general government spending

How many people in Sierra Leone have health insurance?

96% of women and 97% of men aged 15 to 49 in Sierra Leone had no health insurance in 2019, according to the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey. Among people with more than secondary education, 14% of women and 12% of men had some form of insurance.

The share of women without insurance fell from 99% in 2013 to 96% in 2019, and of men from 98% to 97%. The survey asked about mutual health organisations, employer-based schemes and commercial insurance. WHO estimates that out-of-pocket payments made up 54.5% of health spending in 2023.

Official sources: 2019 Demographic and Health Survey

How good is access to essential health services in Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone scored 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage service coverage index in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. It scored 45 in 2021 and 2022.

The index combines 14 measures of essential services, covering reproductive, maternal and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and service capacity. A higher score means wider coverage. It measures whether people can get services, not whether they face financial hardship paying for them.

Official sources: World Health Organization

How common is malaria in Sierra Leone?

WHO estimates that there were 282.7 malaria cases per 1,000 people at risk in Sierra Leone in 2024, according to the World Health Organization. The rate was 305.8 in 2021, 298.2 in 2022 and 284.1 in 2023.

The estimate covers all cases, not only those diagnosed at health facilities. A rate of 282.7 per 1,000 means that more than one in four people at risk catches malaria in a year on average. The figures are model estimates based on reported cases and survey data, and they are revised in later editions.

Official sources: World Health Organization

How common is tuberculosis in Sierra Leone?

WHO estimates that there were 372 new tuberculosis cases per 100,000 people in Sierra Leone in 2024, according to the World Health Organization. The incidence was 395 in 2021, 388 in 2022 and 380 in 2023.

Incidence is the estimated number of new and relapse cases each year, including cases that are never diagnosed or reported. It is therefore higher than the number of cases notified by the health system. The estimate has fallen slowly each year since 2021.

Official sources: World Health Organization

How many children in Sierra Leone are stunted?

29.5% of children under 5 in Sierra Leone were stunted, too short for their age, in 2019, according to the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey. 5.4% were wasted, too thin for their height, and 4.5% were overweight.

Stunting reflects long-term undernutrition and repeated illness, and it was more common among boys (32.1%) than girls (26.8%). Wasting reflects recent weight loss. The figures come from height and weight measurements taken during the survey, so they are more reliable than reported data.

Official sources: 2019 Demographic and Health Survey

What share of children in Sierra Leone are vaccinated?

91% of infants in Sierra Leone received three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine in 2025, according to WHO and UNICEF estimates. The estimate has been 91% every year since 2022.

The 2019 Demographic and Health Survey found lower coverage measured in households: 78.1% for the third dose of a DPT-containing vaccine and 54.4% for the second dose of a measles-containing vaccine. Third-dose DPT coverage is a common sign of whether routine immunisation reaches children. The WHO and UNICEF estimates combine reported administrative data with survey results.

Official sources: WHO and UNICEF estimates · 2019 Demographic and Health Survey

How common is obesity in Sierra Leone?

8.2% of adults in Sierra Leone were obese in 2024, according to a World Health Organization estimate. The rate was 13.1% among women and 3.0% among men.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 or more, adjusted for age so that countries can be compared. The figures are model estimates based on measured height and weight from national surveys. The gap between women and men is large: women are more than four times as likely to be obese.

Official sources: World Health Organization

How long do people live in Sierra Leone?

62.0 years: that is life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone for 2024, according to the UN Population Division. No year since 2005 has been higher. It is 37th highest of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 64.3 years. World rank, highest first: 182nd of 193.

What is Sierra Leone's infant mortality rate?

The UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation puts the infant mortality rate in Sierra Leone at 54.6 per 1,000 in 2024. That is the lowest since at least 2005. It is 12th highest of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 37.2 per 1,000. Of 192 countries with 2024 data, 12th highest.

How many women die in childbirth in Sierra Leone?

According to the WHO, the maternal mortality ratio in Sierra Leone was 354 per 100,000 in 2023. It is the bottom of the series, which starts in 2005. It is 18th highest of 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median is 257 per 100,000. Worldwide: 19th of 192.

What is Sierra Leone's health spending?

4.7% of GDP: that is current health spending in Sierra Leone for 2023, according to the WHO. No year since 2005 has been lower. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 4.4% of GDP; Sierra Leone is 22nd highest of 48. Of 191 countries with 2023 data, 129th highest.

How much do people in Sierra Leone pay for health care themselves?

The latest figure from the WHO, for 2023, is 54.5%. The peak was 72.2% in 2007 and the low 35.0% in 2014. Across Sub-Saharan Africa the middle value was 32.4%, and Sierra Leone placed 9th highest of 48. Worldwide: 25th of 191.

How many doctors per person does Sierra Leone have?

The WHO puts the number of doctors per 1,000 people in Sierra Leone at 0.13 per 1,000 in 2022. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2008. Sub-Saharan Africa median: 0.18 per 1,000; Sierra Leone is 32nd highest of 46. Of 125 countries with 2022 data, 111th highest.

How many children in Sierra Leone are vaccinated against measles?

90.0%: that is measles vaccination among children aged 12 to 23 months in Sierra Leone for 2024, according to WHO and UNICEF. Since 2005 it has ranged from 60.0% (2007) to 93.0% (2019). Sub-Saharan Africa median: 81.0%; Sierra Leone is 8th highest of 48. World rank, highest first: 92nd of 191.