Share of the population using the Internet in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Share of the population using the Internet was 25.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population using the Internet in Sierra Leone, 1990–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2024, share of the population using the internet in Sierra Leone stood at 25.1%. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and up 314.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population using the internet in Sierra Leone peaked at 25.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1990.
That places Sierra Leone 187th out of 208 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population using the Internet in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1993 | 0.0% | — |
| 1994 | 0.0% | — |
| 1995 | 0.0% | — |
| 1996 | 0.0% | — |
| 1997 | 0.0% | +98.8% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | +196.6% |
| 1999 | 0.0% | +227.7% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | +143.8% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | +35.5% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | +123.1% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | +55.2% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +177.8% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | +60.0% |
| 2014 | 6.1% | +51.4% |
| 2015 | 6.3% | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | +21.1% |
| 2017 | 9.3% | +21.1% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | +55.1% |
| 2019 | 15.7% | +9.0% |
| 2020 | 17.1% | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 18.7% | +9.0% |
| 2022 | 21.5% | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 23.7% | +10.3% |
| 2024 | 25.1% | +5.9% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 25.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 19.0%, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 25.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 34.5%, 73% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of the population 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 | +227.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1998 | +196.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | +177.8% | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| 2000 | +143.8% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2010 | +123.1% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| 1997 | +98.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.7% | 0.6% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.2% | 17.1% | 25.1% | 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 share of the population using the internet in Sierra Leone?
- Share of the population using the internet in Sierra Leone was 25.1% in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population using the internet recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 25.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population using the internet recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1990.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for share of the population using the internet?
- Sierra Leone ranks 187th out of 208 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population using the internet rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 314.5%. 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) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population who used the Internet in the last three months.