Nationality:
noun: Sierra Leonean(s)
adjective: Sierra Leonean

Ethnic groups:
Temne 35%, Mende 31%, Limba 8%, Kono 5%, Kriole 2% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century; also known as Krio), Mandingo 2%, Loko 2%, other 15% (includes refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, and small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians) (2008 census)

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%)

Religions:
Muslim 60%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs 30%

Population:
5,485,998 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.8% (male 1,113,528/female 1,130,112)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,401,907/female 1,522,335)
[see also: Age structure 15-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 86,614/female 109,173) (2011 est.)
[see also: Age structure 65 years and over country ranks ]

Median age:
total: 19.1 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 18.6 years
[see also: Median age - male country ranks ]
female: 19.5 years (2011 est.)
[see also: Median age - female country ranks ]

Population growth rate:
2.277% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
38.12 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
11.49 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 187
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2012 est.)
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 38% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
[see also: Urbanization - rate of urbanization country ranks ]

Major cities - population:
FREETOWN (capital) 875,000 (2009)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - under 15 years country ranks ]
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 65 years and over country ranks ]
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2012 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - total population country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
970 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 7
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 76.64 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 12
male: 85.37 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - male country ranks ]
female: 67.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
[see also: Infant mortality rate - female country ranks ]

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.55 years
country comparison to the world: 196
male: 54.08 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - male country ranks ]
female: 59.11 years (2012 est.)
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - female country ranks ]

Total fertility rate:
4.9 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
13.1% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.016 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 190
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)
country comparison to the world: 173
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved: