Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 24.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources 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 24.4% for share of population not using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 32.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sierra Leone peaked at 52.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 24.4%, in 2024.
That places Sierra Leone 11th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 52.6% | — |
| 2001 | 52.2% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 51.0% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 49.8% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 48.6% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 47.4% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 46.1% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 44.9% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 43.6% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 42.4% | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 41.2% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 39.9% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 38.7% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 37.5% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 36.3% | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 35.1% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 33.9% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 32.7% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 31.5% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 30.3% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 29.1% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 27.9% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 26.8% | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 25.6% | -4.4% |
| 2024 | 24.4% | -4.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 24.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 16.7%, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 24.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.9% | 42.4% | 52.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.7% | 30.3% | 41.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.8% | 24.4% | 29.1% | 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 not using improved drinking water sources in Sierra Leone?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sierra Leone was 24.4% 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 not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 52.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.4% in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Sierra Leone ranks 11th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 not using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Proportion of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.