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Africa
Page last updated: May 22, 2024
Continuously populated for at least 2,500 years, the area now known as Sierra Leone is covered with dense jungle that allowed the region to remain relatively protected from invading West African empires. Traders introduced Sierra Leone to Islam, which occupies a central role in Sierra Leonean culture and history. In the 17th century, the British set up a trading post near present-day Freetown. The trade originally involved timber and ivory but later expanded to enslaved people. In 1787, after the American Revolution, Sierra Leone became a destination for Black British loyalists from the new United States. When Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, British ships delivered thousands of liberated Africans to Sierra Leone. During the 19th century, the colony gradually expanded inland.
In 1961, Sierra Leone became independent of the UK. Sierra Leone held free and fair elections in 1962 and 1967, but Siaka STEVENS -- Sierra Leone’s second prime minister -- quickly reverted to authoritarian tendencies, outlawing most political parties and ruling from 1967 to 1985. In 1991, Sierra Leonean soldiers launched a civil war against STEVENS’ ruling party. The war caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 2 million people (about one third of the population). In 1998, a Nigerian-led West African coalition military force intervened, installing Tejan KABBAH -- who was originally elected in 1996 -- as prime minister. In 2002, KABBAH officially announced the end of the war. Since 1998, Sierra Leone has conducted democratic elections dominated by the two main political parties, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC) party. In 2018, Julius Maada BIO of the Sierra Leone People’s Party won the presidential election that saw a high voter turnout despite some allegations of voter intimidation. BIO won again in June 2023, although irregularities were noted that called into question the integrity of the results. In October 2023, the Government of Sierra Leone and the main opposition party, the All People’s Congress, signed the Agreement for National Unity to boost cooperation between political parties and begin the process of reforming the country’s electoral system.
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
8 30 N, 11 30 W
Africa
Total: 71,740 km²
Land: 71,620 km²
Water: 120 km²
Slightly smaller than South Carolina
Total: 1,093 km
Border countries (2): Guinea 794 km; Liberia 299 km
402 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 279 m
Diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Agricultural land: 56.2% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)
Forest: 37.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.3% (2018 est.)
300 km² (2012)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 km²)
Population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated as shown on this population distribution map
Dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
Total: 9,121,049
Male: 4,515,726
Female: 4,605,323 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 98; male 98; total 99
Noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
Adjective: Sierra Leonean
Temne 35.4%, Mende 30.8%, Limba 8.8%, Kono 4.3%, Korankoh 4%, Fullah 3.8%, Mandingo 2.8%, Loko 2%, Sherbro 1.9%, Creole 1.2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), other 5% (2019 est.)
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 Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.)
Sierra Leone’s youthful and growing population is driven by its high total fertility rate (TFR) of almost 4 children per woman as of 2022, which has declined little over the last two decades. Its elevated TFR is sustained by the continued desire for large families, the low level of contraceptive use, and the early start of childbearing. Despite its high TFR, Sierra Leone’s population growth is somewhat tempered by high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates that are among the world’s highest and are a result of poverty, a lack of potable water and sanitation, poor nutrition, limited access to quality health care services, and the prevalence of female genital cutting.
Sierra Leone’s large youth cohort – about 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – continues to struggle with high levels of unemployment, which was one of the major causes of the country’s 1991-2002 civil war and remains a threat to stability today. Its estimated 60% youth unemployment rate is attributed to high levels of illiteracy and unskilled labor, a lack of private sector jobs, and low pay.
Sierra Leone has been a source of and destination for refugees. Sierra Leone’s civil war internally displaced as many as 2 million people, or almost half the population, and forced almost another half million to seek refuge in neighboring countries (370,000 Sierra Leoneans fled to Guinea and 120,000 to Liberia). The UNHCR has helped almost 180,000 Sierra Leoneans to return home, while more than 90,000 others have repatriated on their own. Of the more than 65,000 Liberians who took refuge in Sierra Leone during their country’s civil war (1989-2003), about 50,000 have been voluntarily repatriated by the UNHCR and others have returned home independently.
0-14 years: 40.1% (male 1,843,606/female 1,812,304)
15-64 years: 57.4% (male 2,557,715/female 2,675,418)
65 years and over: 2.5% (2024 est.) (male 114,405/female 117,601)
2023 population pyramids:
Total dependency ratio: 74
Youth dependency ratio: 68.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5
Potential support ratio: 18.3 (2020 est.)
Total: 19.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 19 years
Female: 19.9 years
2.32% (2024 est.)
30.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Population clusters are found in the lower elevations of the south and west; the northern third of the country is less populated as shown on this population distribution map
Urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
1.309 million FREETOWN (capital) (2023)
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
19.6 years (2019 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
443 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 71.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 76 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 66.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 59.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 57.8 years
Female: 61 years
3.61 children born/woman (2024 est.)
1.78 (2024 est.)
21.2% (2019)
Improved: urban: 92.5% of population
Rural: 58% of population
Total: 72.8% of population
Unimproved: urban: 7.5% of population
Rural: 42% of population
Total: 27.2% of population (2020 est.)
8.8% of GDP (2020)
0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Improved: urban: 79.5% of population
Rural: 35.5% of population
Total: 54.4% of population
Unimproved: urban: 20.5% of population
Rural: 64.5% of population
Total: 45.6% of population (2020 est.)
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue feve, and sexually transmitted diseases: hepatitis Br (2024)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
Aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever
8.7% (2016)
Total: 3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 2.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 13.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 20.5% (2020 est.)
Female: 6.4% (2020 est.)
12% (2021)
58.9% (2023 est.)
Women married by age 15: 8.6%
Women married by age 18: 29.6%
Men married by age 18: 4.1% (2019 est.)
9.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
Total population: 48.6%
Male: 56.3%
Female: 41.3% (2022)
Rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation, soil exhaustion, and flooding; loss of biodiversity; air pollution; water pollution; overfishing
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Agricultural land: 56.2% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 23.4% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)
Forest: 37.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.3% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 44.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.02% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Severe localized food insecurity: due to high food prices and reduced incomes - according to the latest analysis, about 1.18 million people are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance between the June to August 2023 lean season; acute food insecurity is underpinned by elevated food prices, in part driven by a weak currency, and low purchasing power of vulnerable households (2023)
6.92% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 39.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.09 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 3.16 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 610,222 tons (2004 est.)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 km²)
Municipal: 110 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
160 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
Conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone
Local short form: Sierra Leone
Etymology: the Portuguese explorer Pedro de SINTRA named the country "Serra Leoa" (Lion Mountains) for the impressive mountains he saw while sailing the West African coast in 1462
Presidential republic
Name: Freetown
Geographic coordinates: 8 29 N, 13 14 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: name derived from the fact that the original settlement served as a haven for free-born and freed African Americans, as well as for liberated Africans rescued from slave ships
4 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, North Western, Southern, Western*
27 April 1961 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
History: several previous; latest effective 1 October 1991
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in two successive readings and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms and many other constitutional sections also requires approval in a referendum with participation of at least one half of qualified voters and at least two thirds of votes cast; amended several times, last in 2016
Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Sierra Leone
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023); note - the president is chief of state, head of government, and Minister of Defense
Head of government: President Julius Maada BIO (since 27 June 2023); Vice President Mohamed Juldeh JALLOH (since 27 June 2023)
Cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president, approved by Parliament; the cabinet is responsible to the president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by 55% in the first round or absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2028)
Election results:
2023: Julius Maada BIO reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 56.2%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 41.2%, other 2.6%
2018: Julius Maada BIO elected president in second round; percent of vote - Julius Maada BIO (SLPP) 51.8%, Samura KAMARA (APC) 48.2%
Description: unicameral Parliament (149 seats; 135 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by a district block proportional representation vote and 14 seats for "paramount chiefs" indirectly elected to represent the 14 provincial districts; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 24 June 2023 (next to be held in 2028)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SLPP 81, APC 54; composition - men 105, women 44, percentage women 29.5%
Highest court(s): Superior Court of Judicature (consists of the Supreme Court - at the apex - with the chief justice and 4 other judges, the Court of Appeal with the chief justice and 7 other judges, and the High Court of Justice with the chief justice and 9 other judges); note – the Judicature has jurisdiction in all civil, criminal, and constitutional matters
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice and other judges of the Judicature appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 7-member independent body of judges, presidential appointees, and the Commission chairman, and are subject to approval by Parliament; all Judicature judges serve until retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; District Appeals Court; local courts
All People's Congress or APC [Samura KAMARA]
Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP) [Julius Maada BIO]
ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue; green symbolizes agriculture, mountains, and natural resources, white represents unity and justice, and blue the sea and the natural harbor in Freetown
Lion; national colors: green, white, blue
Name: "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free"
Lyrics/music: Clifford Nelson FYLE/John Joseph AKA
Note: adopted 1961
Low-income West African economy; primarily subsistent agriculture; key iron and diamond mining activities suspended; slow recovery from 1990s civil war; systemic corruption; high-risk debt; high youth unemployment; natural resource rich
$14.068 billion (2022 est.)
$13.598 billion (2021 est.)
$13.062 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
3.46% (2022 est.)
4.1% (2021 est.)
-1.97% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$1,600 (2022 est.)
$1,600 (2021 est.)
$1,600 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
$4.095 billion (2022 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
27.21% (2022 est.)
11.87% (2021 est.)
13.45% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Agriculture: 60.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 6.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 32.9% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 222; industry 218; agriculture 1
Household consumption: 97.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 18.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 26.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -55.3% (2017 est.)
Cassava, rice, oil palm fruit, vegetables, sweet potatoes, milk, citrus fruits, groundnuts, fruits, sugarcane (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Diamond mining; iron ore, rutile and bauxite mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, footwear)
8.17% (2022 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
2.829 million (2022 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
3.27% (2022 est.)
3.66% (2021 est.)
3.57% (2020 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 10.8% (2021 est.)
Male: 15.8%
Female: 7.6%
56.8% (2018 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
35.7 (2018 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Lowest 10%: 3.4%
Highest 10%: 29.4% (2018 est.)
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
5.67% of GDP (2022 est.)
5.47% of GDP (2021 est.)
4.36% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $740 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $867 million (2019 est.)
-7.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
54.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
15.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
-$358.39 million (2021 est.)
-$320.411 million (2020 est.)
-$792.257 million (2019 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$1.114 billion (2021 est.)
$661.505 million (2020 est.)
$632.405 million (2019 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
China 54%, Belgium 12%, UAE 6%, Germany 4%, Netherlands 4% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Iron ore, titanium ore, diamonds, wood, aluminum ore (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$1.869 billion (2021 est.)
$1.386 billion (2020 est.)
$1.818 billion (2019 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
China 33%, India 12%, Turkey 9%, US 6%, UAE 5% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Rice, plastic products, refined petroleum, vaccines, packaged medicine (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$624.641 million (2022 est.)
$945.908 million (2021 est.)
$707.704 million (2020 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$1.615 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.503 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Leones (SLL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
14.048 (2022 est.)
10.439 (2021 est.)
9.83 (2020 est.)
9.01 (2019 est.)
7.932 (2018 est.)
Population without electricity: 6 million (2020)
Electrification - total population: 27.4% (2021)
Electrification - urban areas: 56.9% (2021)
Electrification - rural areas: 4.9% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 180,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 130.708 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 77 million kWh (2019 est.)
Comparison rankings: imports 165; installed generating capacity 174; transmission/distribution losses 50; exports 153; consumption 192
Fossil fuels: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 87% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 5,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
6,439 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
899,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 899,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
1.803 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 269 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Total subscriptions: 8.227 million (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2021 est.)
General assessment: the telecom sector has only gradually recovered from the destruction caused during the war years, and only since 2019 has there been an effective terrestrial fiber backbone infrastructure, while the cable link to neighboring Guinea was not completed until February 2020; there is considerable available capacity from the ACE submarine cable and the national fiber network, but this is used inefficiently and so the price of internet connectivity remains one of the highest in the region; the theft of equipment and cabling, compounded by neglect, mismanagement, and under investment, means that telecommunications companies continue to operate in difficult conditions; the telecom regulator has made efforts to improve the market, including the liberalization of the international gateway and regular checks on QoS; the regulator reduced the price floor for mobile voice calls in early 2020, though consumers objected to the MNOs withdrawing a number of cheap packages as a response; the mobile sector has been the main driver of overall telecom revenue (2022)
Domestic: fixed-line less than 0 per 100 and mobile-cellular just over 98 per 100 (2021)
International: country code - 232; landing point for the ACE submarine cable linking to South Africa, over 20 western African countries and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
1 government-owned TV station; 3 private TV stations; a pay-TV service began operations in late 2007; 1 government-owned national radio station; about two-dozen private radio stations primarily clustered in major cities; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available
(2019)
.sl
Total: 1,047,499 (2022 est.)
Percent of population: 12.7% (2022 est.)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 50,193 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 (2015) mt-km
9L
8 (2024)
3 (2024)
Total: 11,701 km
Paved: 1,051 km
Unpaved: 10,650 km (2015)
Urban: 3,000 km (2015)
Non-urban: 8,700 km (2015)
800 km (2011) (600 km navigable year-round)
Total: 584 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 33, container ship 8, general cargo 320, oil tanker 97, other 126
Total ports: 3 (2024)
Large: 0
Medium: 0
Small: 1
Very small: 2
Ports with oil terminals: 2
Key ports: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel
Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Land Forces, Maritime Forces, Air Wing
Ministry of Internal Affairs: Sierra Leone Police (2024)
0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
0.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
0.3% of GDP (2019 est.)
0.3% of GDP (2018 est.)
Approximately 8,500 personnel, mostly ground forces (2023)
The RSLAF has a small inventory that includes a mix of Soviet-origin and other older foreign-supplied equipment; in recent years, it has received limited amounts of mostly donations and secondhand equipment (2023)
18-30 for voluntary military service for men and women (25-40 for specialists); no conscription (2023)
The RSLAF’s principle responsibilities are securing the borders and the country’s territorial waters, supporting civil authorities during emergencies and reconstruction efforts, and participating in peacekeeping missions; it is small, lightly armed, and has a limited budget; since being reduced in size and restructured with British assistance after the end of the civil war in 2002, it has received assistance from several foreign militaries, including those of Canada, China, France, the UK, and the US; the RSLAF has participated in peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Sudan; the Land Forces are by far the largest service with four small light infantry brigades and a separate battalion, each assigned to a separate region, including the capital; the Maritime Forces have a few small coastal and in-shore patrol craft, while the Air Wing has a handful of serviceable combat helicopters; the RSLAF operates under a Joint Forces Command
The RSLAF’s origins lie in the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and The Gambia; the RWAFF fought in both World Wars (2023)
IDPs: IDPs: 3000 currently displaced due to post-electoral violence in 2018 and clashes in the Pujehun region in 2019); 900 internal displacements due to flood in 2022 (2022)
5,500 (displacement caused by post-electoral violence in 2018 and clashes in the Pujehun region in 2019) (2021)