MigrantoMigration trends in Sierra Leone
Africa
Sierra Leone loses more people than it takes in: 63.6K emigrants against 49.2K immigrants. Net balance −14.5K — 0% of the country's population
8.6M
Population
49.2K
Immigrants
63.6K
Emigrants
−14.5K
Outflow
1 in 176 residents of Sierra Leone was born abroad — and 1 in 137 people born in Sierra Leone lives abroad
#159 in the world by net migration loss
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Sierra Leone
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
221.1K immigrants · 42.5K emigrants
1995
- An accelerating exodus — the diaspora grew by 897%
- Guinea overtook Liberia as the largest source of new arrivals
- The country became a place of departure — more people leaving than arriving
- Immigration contracted — the foreign-born population fell 56%
2005
- Liberia overtook Guinea as the largest source of new arrivals
- The exodus eased — the diaspora shrank by 81%
- The country became a destination — more people arriving than leaving
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 50%
2010
- Senegal replaced Guinea as the main destination for those leaving
- The gap between arrivals and departures was cut in half
2015
- The country became a place of departure — more people leaving than arriving
- Immigration contracted — the foreign-born population fell 26%
2020
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 12.1K
Today
- Senegal replaced Liberia as the main destination for those leaving
- Since 1990: 171.9K fewer foreign-born residents and roughly the same number of emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Where to live?
Score countries, regions and cities by what matters to you
Living in Sierra Leone
See the full country overview