Population:

6,294,774 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44.6% (male 1,377,981/female 1,429,993)
15-64 years: 52.2% (male 1,573,990/female 1,708,840)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 94,359/female 109,611) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.5 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.282% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

45.08 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

22.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

1 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:

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: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 156.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 173.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 138.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 40.93 years
male: 38.64 years
female: 43.28 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.95 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

170,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

11,000 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups:

20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican 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

Religions:

Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%

Languages:

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%)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic
total population: 35.1%
male: 46.9%
female: 24.4% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 7 years
male: 8 years
female: 6 years (2001)

Education expenditures - percent of GDP:

3.8% (2005)