Sierra Leone People:
Population:
6,017,643 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.7% (male:1,318,508; female:1,371,164)
15-64 years: 52% (male:1,494,068; female:1,637,276)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male:93,047; female:103,580) (2005)
Median age:
total: 17.53 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.84 years (2005)
Population growth rate:
2.22% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
42.84 births
/
1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
20.61 deaths
/
1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 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 (2005)
under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005)
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005)
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female (2005)
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 143.64 deaths
/
1,000 live births (2005 est.)
male: 161.06 deaths
/
1,000 live births
female: 125.69 deaths
/
1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total: 42.52 years (2005 est.)
male: 40.13 years
female: 44.98 years
Total fertility rate:
5.72 children born/woman (2005 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 disease: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic groups:
20 native African tribes 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%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
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: 29.6%
male: 39.8%
female: 20.5% (2000)
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