Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 68.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source 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
In 2024, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Sierra Leone stood at 68.1%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Sierra Leone peaked at 68.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 40.9%, in 2000.
Sierra Leone ranks 209th of 231 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 40.9% | — |
| 2001 | 41.2% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 42.4% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 43.5% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 44.6% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 45.8% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 47.0% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 48.2% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 49.3% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 50.5% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 52.9% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 54.1% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 55.2% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 56.4% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 57.6% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 58.7% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 59.9% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 61.1% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 62.2% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 63.4% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 64.6% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 65.7% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 66.9% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 68.1% | +1.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 68.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.9%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 68.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 94% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 45.3% | 40.9% | 50.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.0% | 51.7% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.7% | 63.4% | 68.1% | 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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Sierra Leone?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Sierra Leone was 68.1% 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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 68.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.9% in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Sierra Leone ranks 209th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. 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 Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.