Drinking water service usage in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Drinking water service usage was 10.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage in Sierra Leone, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 10.9% for drinking water service usage in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Sierra Leone peaked at 10.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2000.
Sierra Leone ranks 160th of 163 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.2% | — |
| 2001 | 5.3% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 5.5% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 5.9% | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 6.1% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 6.3% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 6.5% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 7.0% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 7.2% | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 7.7% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 7.9% | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 8.2% | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 8.7% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 9.2% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 9.5% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 9.8% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 10.0% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 10.3% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 10.6% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 10.9% | +2.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 10.9% is below the median for low income countries, which is 18.2%, 60% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 10.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.4%, 40% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.0% | 5.2% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 7.2% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.3% | 9.8% | 10.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More environment data for Sierra Leone
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.4 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.39 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.232 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.28 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.72 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Sierra Leone?
- Drinking water service usage in Sierra Leone was 10.9% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water service usage recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 10.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for drinking water service usage?
- Sierra Leone ranks 160th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water service usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.