Female labor force participation rates in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Female labor force participation rates was 51.6 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
51.6
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
108th
of 186 countries
All-time high
65.92
in 2004
All-time low
51.09
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Female labor force participation rates in Sierra Leone, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female labor force participation rates in Sierra Leone is 51.6, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female labor force participation rates in Sierra Leone peaked at 65.92 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 51.09, in 2020.
Sierra Leone ranks 108th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Female labor force participation rates in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 65.09 | — |
| 1991 | 65.05 | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 65.01 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 64.98 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 64.94 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 64.9 | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 64.86 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 64.82 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 64.78 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 64.73 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 64.69 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 64.68 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 64.67 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 64.66 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 65.92 | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 65 | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 64.07 | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 63.13 | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 62.18 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 61.22 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 60.26 | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 59.28 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 58.29 | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 57.3 | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 56.31 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 55.09 | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 53.87 | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 52.64 | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 51.41 | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 51.58 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 51.09 | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 51.47 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 51.6 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 51.77 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 51.81 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 51.6 | -0.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 51.6 is below the median for low income countries, which is 60.29, 86% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 51.6 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.3, 90% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64.92 | 64.73 | 65.09 | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.02 | 61.22 | 65.92 | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.6 | 51.41 | 60.26 | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.56 | 51.09 | 51.81 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
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 female labor force participation rates in Sierra Leone?
- Female labor force participation rates in Sierra Leone was 51.6 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female labor force participation rates recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 65.92 in 2004.
- What is the lowest female labor force participation rates recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.09 in 2020.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for female labor force participation rates?
- Sierra Leone ranks 108th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is female labor force participation rates rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Female labor force participation rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).