Number of people using the Internet in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Number of people using the Internet was 2.17 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Number of people using the Internet in Sierra Leone, 1990–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone stood at 2.17 million people. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.1% on the previous year and up 420.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone peaked at 2.17 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1990.
Sierra Leone ranks 131st of 208 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people using the Internet in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 people | — |
| 1993 | 0 people | — |
| 1994 | 0 people | — |
| 1995 | 0 people | — |
| 1996 | 105.4 people | — |
| 1997 | 212.26 people | +101.4% |
| 1998 | 635.78 people | +199.5% |
| 1999 | 2,094 people | +229.4% |
| 2000 | 5,231 people | +149.8% |
| 2001 | 7,521 people | +43.8% |
| 2002 | 8,760 people | +16.5% |
| 2003 | 9,847 people | +12.4% |
| 2004 | 10,872 people | +10.4% |
| 2005 | 11,851 people | +9.0% |
| 2006 | 12,807 people | +8.1% |
| 2007 | 13,787 people | +7.7% |
| 2008 | 14,737 people | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 15,745 people | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 36,092 people | +129.2% |
| 2011 | 57,485 people | +59.3% |
| 2012 | 163,777 people | +184.9% |
| 2013 | 268,562 people | +64.0% |
| 2014 | 416,523 people | +55.1% |
| 2015 | 446,497 people | +7.2% |
| 2016 | 553,376 people | +23.9% |
| 2017 | 686,061 people | +24.0% |
| 2018 | 1.09 million people | +58.8% |
| 2019 | 1.21 million people | +11.5% |
| 2020 | 1.35 million people | +11.5% |
| 2021 | 1.51 million people | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 1.78 million people | +17.9% |
| 2023 | 2.01 million people | +12.7% |
| 2024 | 2.17 million people | +8.1% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 2.17 million people is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.48 million people, 48% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 2.17 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.88 million people, 56% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people using the Internet 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +229.4% | 635.78 people | 2,094 people |
| 1998 | +199.5% | 212.26 people | 635.78 people |
| 2012 | +184.9% | 57,485 people | 163,777 people |
| 2000 | +149.8% | 2,094 people | 5,231 people |
| 2010 | +129.2% | 15,745 people | 36,092 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 380.96 people | 0 people | 2,094 people | 8 |
| 2000s | 11,116 people | 5,231 people | 15,745 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 493,289 people | 36,092 people | 1.21 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.76 million people | 1.35 million people | 2.17 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More science & technology data for Sierra Leone
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 107.88 (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.08 units per person (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 8.93 million (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 123.71 units per square kilometre (2022)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 6.14 % change on previous year (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 8.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 86.32 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone?
- Number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone was 2.17 million people in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi.
- What is the highest number of people using the internet recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 2.17 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of people using the internet recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1990.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for number of people using the internet?
- Sierra Leone ranks 131st out of 208 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of people using the internet rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 420.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi, published as part of Number of people using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people who used the Internet in the last three months.