Employment in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Employment was 2,843 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Sierra Leone, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 2,843 for employment in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Sierra Leone peaked at 2,843 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,455, in 1993.
Sierra Leone ranks 112th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1,493 | — |
| 1992 | 1,460 | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 1,455 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 1,458 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 1,460 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 1,465 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 1,482 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 1,497 | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 1,502 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 1,539 | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 1,630 | +5.9% |
| 2002 | 1,732 | +6.3% |
| 2003 | 1,804 | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 1,919 | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 1,941 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 1,957 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 1,974 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 1,997 | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 2,024 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 2,053 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 2,080 | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 2,109 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 2,136 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 2,157 | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 2,197 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 2,241 | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 2,292 | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 2,342 | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 2,408 | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 2,449 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 2,536 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 2,625 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 2,703 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 2,778 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 2,843 | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,475 | 1,455 | 1,502 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1,852 | 1,539 | 2,024 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,202 | 2,053 | 2,408 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,656 | 2,449 | 2,843 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 109 El Salvador 2,891 compare
- 110 Somalia 2,882 compare
- 111 New Zealand 2,880 compare
- 113 Oman 2,751 compare
- 114 Kyrgyzstan 2,749 compare
- 115 Ireland 2,689 compare
More work & labour data for Sierra Leone
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1141 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1389 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.091 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.2881 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.17 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,725 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,247 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 8,103 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 7,832 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 15,934 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Sierra Leone?
- Employment in Sierra Leone was 2,843 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 2,843 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,455 in 1993.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for employment?
- Sierra Leone ranks 112th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.