Labor force participation rate by age in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Labor force participation rate by age was 31.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
31.0%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
136th
of 188 countries
All-time high
42.3%
in 2004
All-time low
28.8%
in 2014
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Labor force participation rate by age in Sierra Leone, 1990–2024

0102030401990200720241990: 37.8 %1991: 37.9 %1992: 38.1 %1993: 38.2 %1994: 38.3 %1995: 38.5 %1996: 38.6 %1997: 38.8 %1998: 38.9 %1999: 39.1 %2000: 39.2 %2001: 39.3 %2002: 39.3 %2003: 39.3 %2004: 42.3 %2005: 40.9 %2006: 39.4 %2007: 38 %2008: 36.6 %2009: 35.3 %2010: 33.9 %2011: 32.6 %2012: 31.3 %2013: 30 %2014: 28.8 %2015: 29.6 %2016: 30.4 %2017: 31.3 %2018: 32.1 %2019: 31.6 %2020: 31.3 %2021: 31.4 %2022: 31.2 %2023: 31.1 %2024: 31 %

Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sierra Leone recorded 31.0% for labor force participation rate by age in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in Sierra Leone peaked at 42.3% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 28.8%, in 2014.

That places Sierra Leone 136th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 38.4% 37.8% 39.1% 10
2000s 39.0% 35.3% 42.3% 10
2010s 31.2% 28.8% 33.9% 10
2020s 31.2% 31.0% 31.4% 5

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 133 Kyrgyzstan 31.4% compare
  2. 134 India 31.2% compare
  3. 135 Saudi Arabia 31.2% compare
  4. 137 Cape Verde 30.9% compare
  5. 138 Croatia 30.8% compare
  6. 139 Bhutan 30.8% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More work & labour data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate by age in Sierra Leone?
Labor force participation rate by age in Sierra Leone was 31.0% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 42.3% in 2004.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 28.8% in 2014.
How does Sierra Leone rank for labor force participation rate by age?
Sierra Leone ranks 136th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate by age
Unit
%
Source
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
195 places, 6,816 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population aged 15-24 who are economically active (employed or unemployed).