MigrantoSierra Leonean Diaspora
63.6K Sierra Leoneans live abroad — the #159 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 59% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Senegal | 15843 |
| Liberia | 13878 |
| Guinea | 8065 |
| Nigeria | 4679 |
| Australia | 4218 |
| Ghana | 3061 |
| Belgium | 3018 |
| Gambia | 2856 |
| Mali | 2774 |
| Italy | 2470 |
| Norway | 576 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 491 |
| Denmark | 344 |
| Libya | 265 |
| Greece | 187 |
| Namibia | 180 |
| Finland | 171 |
| South Africa | 142 |
| Togo | 106 |
| Brazil | 100 |
| Portugal | 65 |
| Hungary | 35 |
| Iceland | 29 |
| Luxembourg | 23 |
| Egypt | 22 |
| Cape Verde | 15 |
| Estonia | 8 |
| Slovenia | 5 |
| Bolivia | 2 |
| Cyprus | 1 |
| Bulgaria | 1 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Latvia | 0 |
By destination region
Africa is the leading destination region at 82%
52.4K
6.9K
4.2K
102
1
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Sierra Leone.
Senegal is the primary destination for emigrants
Senegal attracts 25% of all emigrants from Sierra Leone, while the second-largest destination receives just 22%.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 38% to 25%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
The share of emigrants going to Africa has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Africa has shifted from 97.4% to 82.3% since 1990.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 42497 |
| 1995 | 423611 |
| 2000 | 459995 |
| 2005 | 89467 |
| 2010 | 57946 |
| 2015 | 59400 |
| 2020 | 64980 |
| 2024 | 63631 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Senegal | Liberia | Guinea | Nigeria | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12313 | 7943 | 15985 | 1553 | 97 |
| 1995 | 12876 | 124102 | 273125 | 1574 | 158 |
| 2000 | 11638 | 71154 | 365828 | 1658 | 260 |
| 2005 | 12523 | 26426 | 27115 | 3294 | 1490 |
| 2010 | 14007 | 12578 | 13557 | 3365 | 3265 |
| 2015 | 14963 | 14536 | 8683 | 4073 | 3989 |
| 2020 | 15453 | 16853 | 8342 | 4363 | 4094 |
| 2024 | 15843 | 13878 | 8065 | 4679 | 4218 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Sierra Leone as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Sierra Leone
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Sierra Leoneans move to?
Most Sierra Leoneans have moved to Senegal, Liberia and Guinea — these three countries account for about 59% of all Sierra Leoneans living abroad.
How many Sierra Leoneans live abroad?
Around 63.6K Sierra Leoneans live abroad, making it the #159-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Sierra Leone lives abroad?
About 1% of the population of Sierra Leone lives abroad — that's 63.6K out of a total population of 8.6M.
How has emigration from Sierra Leone changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Sierra Leone has grown from 59.4K to 63.6K people, a growth of about 7%.
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