Labor force participation rate in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Labor force participation rate was 53.37 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
53.37
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
145th
of 186 countries
All-time high
66.11
in 2004
All-time low
53.3
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Sierra Leone, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 53.37 for labor force participation rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Sierra Leone peaked at 66.11 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 53.3, in 2020.
Sierra Leone ranks 145th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 64.35 | — |
| 1991 | 64.37 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 64.4 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 64.42 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 64.45 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 64.48 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 64.5 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 64.53 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 64.56 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 64.59 | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 64.62 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 64.63 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 64.64 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 64.64 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 66.11 | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 65.23 | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 64.35 | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 63.45 | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 62.55 | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 61.63 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 60.71 | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 59.78 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 58.84 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 57.9 | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 56.95 | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 56.19 | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 55.44 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 54.67 | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 53.91 | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 53.81 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 53.3 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 53.61 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 53.66 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 53.63 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 53.58 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 53.37 | -0.4% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 53.37 is below the median for low income countries, which is 67.04, 80% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 53.37 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.31, 83% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64.47 | 64.35 | 64.59 | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.19 | 61.63 | 66.11 | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.82 | 53.81 | 60.71 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.53 | 53.3 | 53.66 | 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 labor force participation rate in Sierra Leone?
- Labor force participation rate in Sierra Leone was 53.37 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 66.11 in 2004.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.3 in 2020.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for labor force participation rate?
- Sierra Leone ranks 145th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. 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 Labor force participation rate. 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).