Living in Cities in Sierra Leone: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Behind every data point on MYRIAD is the physical reality of human movement, tracing how generations have built their daily lives close together or far apart. In Sierra Leone, the share of the population living in urban areas tells a quiet story of change, mapping out the spaces where people have gathered to work, trade, and raise families across centuries. Urban living shapes the rhythm of a person's existence, dictating the distance to a market, the density of a neighborhood, and the collective pulse of a growing community.

The historical arc stretches steadily forward, recording a gradual shift from rural landscapes into concentrated centers. In the 1800s estimate, the proportion stood at 4, ticking upward to 6 in the 1900s estimate. Growth accelerated through the 1950s at 11 and the 1980s at 23, reaching 41 % in the 2020s. Projections suggest this transformation continues, anticipating 51 % in the 2070s projection and 57 % in the 2100s projection, as the built environment expands to accommodate more lives.

For someone born into this trajectory, the surrounding streets and buildings frame a life lived amidst shifting demographics. In the 2020s, living in cities in Sierra Leone stands at 41 % — ranking #140 of 157 countries. Whether experiencing the quiet rural expanses of earlier times or the denser urban neighborhoods of the present, your place in this statistical lineage connects you to a broader global tapestry of human settlement.

Explore other dimensions of your existence by computing your own parallel lives on MYRIAD.