Number of people using the Internet in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Number of people using the Internet was 1.51 million users in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
1.51 million users
Change on year
up 11.5%
World rank
139th
of 207 countries
All-time high
1.51 million users
in 2021
All-time low
0 users
in 1990
Years of data
30
1990–2021

Number of people using the Internet in Sierra Leone, 1990–2021

0500.0k1.0M1.5M1990200520211990: 0 users1993: 0 users1994: 0 users1995: 0 users1996: 105.4 users1997: 212.3 users1998: 635.8 users1999: 2.1k users2000: 5.2k users2001: 7.5k users2002: 8.8k users2003: 9.8k users2004: 10.9k users2005: 11.9k users2006: 12.8k users2007: 13.8k users2008: 14.7k users2009: 15.7k users2010: 36.1k users2011: 57.5k users2012: 163.8k users2013: 268.6k users2014: 416.5k users2015: 446.5k users2016: 553.4k users2017: 686.1k users2018: 1.1M users2019: 1.2M users2020: 1.4M users2021: 1.5M users

Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in. Measured in users.

Analysis

In 2021, number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone stood at 1.51 million users. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.5% on the previous year and up 2,526.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone peaked at 1.51 million users in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0 users, in 1990.

Sierra Leone ranks 139th of 207 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 380.96 users 0 users 2,094 users 8
2000s 11,116 users 5,231 users 15,745 users 10
2010s 493,289 users 36,092 users 1.21 million users 10
2020s 1.43 million users 1.35 million users 1.51 million users 2

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 136 Papua New Guinea 1.66 million users compare
  2. 137 Gabon 1.56 million users compare
  3. 138 North Macedonia 1.52 million users compare
  4. 140 Bahrain 1.50 million users compare
  5. 141 Liberia 1.39 million users compare
  6. 142 Botswana 1.31 million users compare

See the full ranking of 207 places →

More science & technology data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone?
Number of people using the internet in Sierra Leone was 1.51 million users in 2021, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in.
What is the highest number of people using the internet recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 1.51 million users in 2021.
What is the lowest number of people using the internet recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 0 users in 1990.
How does Sierra Leone rank for number of people using the internet?
Sierra Leone ranks 139th out of 207 countries with data for 2021.
Is number of people using the internet rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,526.7%. 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); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in, published as part of Number of people using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of people using the Internet
Unit
users
Source
World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
207 places, 5,658 data points, 1990–2021
Last refreshed

The number of individuals using the Internet.