Water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Water withdrawals per capita was 25.08 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone, 1987–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone is 25.08 cubic meters per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 20.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone peaked at 96.61 cubic meters per person in 1987 and was at its lowest, 25.08 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
Sierra Leone ranks 167th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 96.61 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1988 | 81.64 cubic meters per person | -15.5% |
| 1989 | 67.53 cubic meters per person | -17.3% |
| 1990 | 53.28 cubic meters per person | -21.1% |
| 1991 | 41.17 cubic meters per person | -22.7% |
| 1992 | 30.24 cubic meters per person | -26.5% |
| 1993 | 32.2 cubic meters per person | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 33.96 cubic meters per person | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 35.79 cubic meters per person | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 37.5 cubic meters per person | +4.8% |
| 1997 | 38.86 cubic meters per person | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 40.31 cubic meters per person | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 41.93 cubic meters per person | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 42.7 cubic meters per person | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 41.25 cubic meters per person | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 39.87 cubic meters per person | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 39.18 cubic meters per person | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 38.75 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 38.57 cubic meters per person | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 37.73 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 36.91 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 36 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 35.04 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 34.1 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 33.22 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 32.39 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 31.61 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 30.86 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 30.15 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 29.45 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 28.76 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 28.09 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 27.44 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 26.82 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 26.21 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 25.64 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 25.08 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 25.08 cubic meters per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 64.29 cubic meters per person, 39% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 25.08 cubic meters per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 42% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | -26.5% | 41.17 cubic meters per person | 30.24 cubic meters per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 81.93 cubic meters per person | 67.53 cubic meters per person | 96.61 cubic meters per person | 3 |
| 1990s | 38.52 cubic meters per person | 30.24 cubic meters per person | 53.28 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.6 cubic meters per person | 35.04 cubic meters per person | 42.7 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.61 cubic meters per person | 27.44 cubic meters per person | 34.1 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.94 cubic meters per person | 25.08 cubic meters per person | 26.82 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 164 Cote d'Ivoire 37.28 cubic meters per person compare
- 165 Burkina Faso 35.53 cubic meters per person compare
- 166 Liberia 26.56 cubic meters per person compare
- 168 Togo 23.97 cubic meters per person compare
- 169 Burundi 20.33 cubic meters per person compare
- 170 Angola 19.21 cubic meters per person compare
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)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8252 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Sierra Leone was 25.08 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 96.61 cubic meters per person in 1987.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.08 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Sierra Leone ranks 167th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.