Prevalence of undernourishment in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Prevalence of undernourishment was 24.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Sierra Leone, 2001–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment in Sierra Leone is 24.1%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.4% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Sierra Leone peaked at 50.0% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 21.6%, in 2011.
That places Sierra Leone 14th out of 115 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 50.0% | — |
| 2002 | 49.2% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 47.0% | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 44.4% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 40.2% | -9.5% |
| 2006 | 36.0% | -10.4% |
| 2007 | 31.9% | -11.4% |
| 2008 | 28.1% | -11.9% |
| 2009 | 24.8% | -11.7% |
| 2010 | 22.5% | -9.3% |
| 2011 | 21.6% | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 21.9% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 23.2% | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 23.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 24.1% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 24.5% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 26.0% | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 27.0% | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 27.8% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 27.5% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 26.3% | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 25.2% | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 24.1% | -4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 39.1% | 24.8% | 50.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 24.2% | 21.6% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.8% | 24.1% | 27.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More development goals data for Sierra Leone
- Red List Index 0.9225 (2025)
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 94.32 (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 61.77 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 14 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 14 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 14 (2025)
- Infant deaths 14,038 (2024)
- Neonatal deaths 7,350 (2024)
- Alcohol consumption per capita (aged 15 years and older) within a 0.2439 (2024)
- Under-five deaths 23,171 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Sierra Leone?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Sierra Leone was 24.1% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 50.0% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.6% in 2011.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Sierra Leone ranks 14th out of 115 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).