Provinces & Districts
The population of the provinces and districts of Sierra Leone by census years.
Boundaries of provinces and districts according to the administrative reorganization of 2017.
| Name | Abbr. | Status | Capital | Area A (km²) | Population Census (C) 1974-12-08 | Population Census (C) 1985-12-15 | Population Census (Cf) 2004-12-04 | Population Census (Cf) 2015-12-04 | Population Census (Cf) 2021-12-09 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | SLE | Rep | Freetown | 72,640 | 2,735,159 | 3,515,812 | 4,976,871 | 7,092,113 | 7,548,702 | → | ||
| Eastern | E | Prov | Kenema | 15,676 | 775,931 | 960,551 | 1,191,539 | 1,642,370 | 1,943,610 | 1567600 | ||
| Kailahun | Dist | Kailahun | 3,940 | 186,365 | 233,839 | 358,190 | 526,379 | 550,435 | 394000 | → | ||
| Kenema | Dist | Kenema | 6,345 | 266,636 | 337,055 | 497,948 | 609,891 | 772,472 | 634500 | → | ||
| Kono | Dist | Koidu | 5,391 | 328,930 | 389,657 | 335,401 | 506,100 | 620,703 | 539100 | → | ||
| Northern (North Eastern) | N | Prov | Makeni | 22,538 | 1,046,158 | 1,259,641 | 875,971 | 1,346,316 | 1,316,831 | 2253800 | ||
| Bombali | Dist | Makeni | 3,876 | 233,626 | 317,729 | 270,923 | 422,960 | 387,236 | 387600 | → | ||
| Falaba | Dist | Bendugu | 7,423 | ... | ... | 130,753 | 205,353 | 166,205 | 742300 | → | ||
| Koinadugu | Dist | Kabala | 4,951 | 158,626 | 183,286 | 135,005 | 204,019 | 206,133 | 495100 | → | ||
| Tonkolili | Dist | Magburaka | 6,288 | 206,321 | 243,051 | 339,290 | 513,984 | 557,257 | 628800 | → | ||
| North Western | NW | Reg | Port Loko | 13,527 | Northern | Northern | 869,582 | 1,161,885 | 1,186,050 | 1352700 | ||
| Kambia | Dist | Kambia | 3,031 | 155,341 | 186,231 | 270,462 | 345,474 | 367,699 | 303100 | → | ||
| Karene | Dist | Kamakwie | 5,828 | ... | ... | 210,884 | 285,546 | 290,313 | 582800 | → | ||
| Port Loko | Dist | Port Loko | 4,668 | 292,244 | 329,344 | 388,236 | 530,865 | 528,038 | 466800 | → | ||
| Southern | S | Prov | Bo | 20,202 | 596,758 | 741,377 | 1,092,657 | 1,441,308 | 1,830,881 | 2020200 | ||
| Bo | Dist | Bo | 5,463 | 217,711 | 268,671 | 463,668 | 575,478 | 756,975 | 546300 | → | ||
| Bonthe (incl. Sherbro Urban) | Dist | Bonthe | 3,547 | 87,761 | 105,007 | 139,687 | 200,781 | 297,561 | 354700 | → | ||
| Moyamba | Dist | Moyamba | 7,012 | 188,745 | 250,514 | 260,910 | 318,588 | 346,771 | 701200 | → | ||
| Pujehun | Dist | Pujehun | 4,179 | 102,741 | 117,185 | 228,392 | 346,461 | 429,574 | 417900 | → | ||
| Western | W | Area | Freetown | 696 | 316,312 | 554,243 | 947,122 | 1,500,234 | 1,271,330 | 69600 | ||
| Western Area Rural | Dist | Waterloo | 614 | 40,065 | 84,467 | 174,249 | 444,270 | 662,156 | 61400 | → | ||
| Western Area Urban (Freetown) | Dist | Freetown | 82 | 276,247 | 469,776 | 772,873 | 1,055,964 | 609,174 | 8200 | → |
- Some 2004 figures are computed. Area figures are derived from geospatial data.
- The 2021 census is a mid-term census. The reasons for the partly significant differences between the 2015 and 2021 figures are unclear.
- Statistics Sierra Leone (web).
Major Cities
| Name | Adm. | Population Census (Cf) 2021-12-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freetown | W | 609,174 |
| 2 | Kenema | E | 255,110 |
| 3 | Bo | S | 223,075 |
| 4 | Koidu | E | 196,418 |
| 5 | Makeni | N | 85,116 |
Contents: Cities & Urban Localities
The population of all Sierra Leonean cities and urban localities with more than 7.000 inhabitants according to census results.
| Name | Adm. | Population Census (C) 1974-12-08 | Population Census (C) 1985-12-15 | Population Census (Cf) 2004-12-04 | Population Census (Cf) 2015-12-04 | Population Census (Cf) 2021-12-09 | Area | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bendugu | N | ... | ... | 3,458 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Benguema | W | ... | ... | 9,707 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Blama | E | 4,743 | 5,559 | 8,603 | 7,097 | ... | 0 | ||
| Bo | S | 39,371 | 59,768 | 149,957 | 174,369 | 223,075 | 0 | → | |
| Bonthe | S | 6,398 | 7,210 | 9,740 | 10,075 | 12,376 | 0 | → | |
| Daru | E | 2,726 | 3,830 | 17,899 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Freetown | W | 276,247 | 469,776 | 772,873 | 1,055,964 | 609,174 | 0 | → | |
| Gbendembu | W | ... | ... | 12,139 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Goderich | W | 3,836 | 6,886 | 19,209 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Kabala | N | 7,847 | 13,923 | 14,108 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Kailahun | E | 7,184 | 9,054 | 13,108 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Kamakwie | NW | 4,837 | 6,287 | 15,885 | 14,962 | ... | 0 | ||
| Kambia | NW | 5,740 | 7,631 | 11,842 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Kenema | E | 31,458 | 52,473 | 128,402 | 200,443 | 255,110 | 0 | → | |
| Koidu (- New Sembehun) | E | 75,846 | 82,474 | 82,899 | 124,662 | 196,418 | 0 | → | |
| Lunsar | NW | 16,723 | 16,073 | 16,567 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Magburaka | N | 10,347 | 11,006 | 16,313 | 23,136 | ... | 0 | ||
| Makeni | N | 26,781 | 40,038 | 80,840 | 124,634 | 85,116 | 0 | → | |
| Mattru Jong | S | 3,891 | 5,804 | 7,647 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Mile 91 | N | ... | 7,210 | 15,491 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Moyamba | S | 6,425 | 6,483 | 11,485 | 10,249 | ... | 0 | ||
| Pendembu | E | 4,270 | 5,644 | 7,243 | 12,640 | ... | 0 | ||
| Port Loko | NW | 10,500 | 15,248 | 21,961 | 33,541 | ... | 0 | ||
| Pujehun | S | 2,802 | 3,859 | 7,571 | 6,095 | ... | 0 | ||
| Rokupr | NW | 5,780 | 8,283 | 9,285 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Segbwema | E | 6,915 | 8,257 | 7,961 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Torgbonbu | ... | ... | 10,716 | ... | ... | 0 | |||
| Waterloo | W | 4,276 | 9,878 | 34,079 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Yamandu (Yormadu) | E | 7,488 | 6,208 | 7,834 | ... | ... | 0 | ||
| Yengema | E | 14,793 | 12,938 | 3,621 | ... | ... | 0 |
- The 2021 census is a mid-term census. The reasons for the partly significant differences between the 2015 and 2021 figures are unclear.
- Western Area Rural: Waterloo - Hastings Urban Area: pop. 208,795 (2015); Goderich - York Urban Area: pop. 113,185 (2015); Katu Town Urban Area: pop. 49,839; Regent Urban Area: pop. 28,813 (2015).
- Statistics Sierra Leone (web).