| 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.) |
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| 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.) |
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People living
with HIV/AIDS | 170,000 (2001 est.) |
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| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 11,000 (2001 est.) |
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| 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 |
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| Religions | Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30% |
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| 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%) |
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| 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.) |
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