Sierra Leone — Infant mortality
Infant Mortality Rate for Sierra Leone, 1960–2024.
Infant mortality for Sierra Leone was 54.6 in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1960 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 165.7 in 1960. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -1.72% per year.
Sierra Leone ranks 12 of 196 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 6%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 38.0, so Sierra Leone sits above it. It peaked in 1960 and has fallen 67% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved down 30%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 12 of 48 economies; Equatorial Guinea (47.6) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 7% in 2016. That is 16% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 18th of 130 in 1960 → 19th of 155 in 1970 → 12th of 179 in 1980 → 7th of 196 in 1990 → 2nd of 196 in 2000 → 2nd of 196 in 2010 → 10th of 196 in 2020 → 12th of 196 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2024
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 54.6 | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 56.3 | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 58.1 | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 59.9 | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 61.9 | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 64 | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 66.3 | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 68.7 | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 71.3 | -7.3% |
| 2015 | 76.9 | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 77.8 | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 80.1 | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 83.4 | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 87 | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 90.8 | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 94.7 | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 98.6 | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 102.3 | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 105.9 | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 109.3 | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 112.4 | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 115.4 | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 118.2 | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 120.8 | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 123.4 | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 125.9 | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 128 | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 130 | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 131.6 | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 132.9 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 133.8 | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 134.5 | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 134.8 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 135.1 | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 135.4 | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 135.6 | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 135.9 | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 136.4 | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 136.9 | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 137.5 | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 138.1 | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 138.7 | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 139.3 | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 140.1 | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 140.9 | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 141.9 | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 142.9 | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 144 | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 145.1 | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 146.2 | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 147.4 | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 148.4 | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 149.7 | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 151 | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 152.5 | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 153.9 | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 155.3 | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 156.8 | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 158.3 | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 159.8 | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 161.2 | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 162.4 | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 163.6 | -0.7% |
| 1961 | 164.7 | -0.6% |
| 1960 | 165.7 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Sierra Leone’s Infant mortality in 1961?
164.7 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are Sierra Leone’s Infant mortality figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — per 1,000 live births — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is Sierra Leone’s Infant mortality growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2024 the series was shrinking overall: -67.0% in total — about 1.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.DYN.IMRT.IN. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 54.6; 2023: 56.3; 2022: 58.1; 2021: 59.9; 2020: 61.9. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.DYN.IMRT.IN — Infant Mortality Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.