People of Sierra Leone
| Population: | 6,144,562 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,349,878/female 1,400,297) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,531,763/female 1,664,996) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 92,360/female 105,268) (2007 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 17.5 years male: 17.2 years female: 17.7 years (2007 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.292% (2007 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 45.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death rate: | 22.64 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2007 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.964 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.877 male(s)/female total population: 0.938 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 158.27 deaths/1,000 live births male: 175.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 140.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 40.58 years male: 38.36 years female: 42.87 years (2007 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 6.01 children born/woman (2007 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 are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2007) |
| 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.) |