Land use in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Land use was 1.75 million hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Land use in Sierra Leone, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, land use in Sierra Leone stood at 1.75 million hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Sierra Leone peaked at 1.83 million hectares in 2006 and was at its lowest, 410,000 hectares, in 1961.
That places Sierra Leone 95th out of 223 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 431,111 hectares | 410,000 hectares | 455,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 484,000 hectares | 460,000 hectares | 515,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 577,700 hectares | 520,000 hectares | 621,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 611,600 hectares | 604,000 hectares | 621,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.34 million hectares | 610,000 hectares | 1.83 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.74 million hectares | 1.64 million hectares | 1.82 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.75 million hectares | 1.75 million hectares | 1.75 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More environment data for Sierra Leone
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 7.93 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.9174 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 2.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.7175 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 1.45 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0007 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 5.57 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0004 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.005 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 0.7846 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Sierra Leone?
- Land use in Sierra Leone was 1.75 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 1.83 million hectares in 2006.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 410,000 hectares in 1961.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for land use?
- Sierra Leone ranks 95th out of 223 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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