Sierra Leone: cities by population
Sierra Leone has a population of 8,996,745 (UN estimate, 2026), with Freetown as its capital. The 50 largest of its 87 recorded towns and cities, ranked.
+103%
since 2000 (4,423,611)
+44%
projected by 2050 (12,948,325)
125
people per km²
Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.
Largest cities in Sierra Leone
| # | Place | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freetown | Western Area | 802,639 |
| 2 | Kenema | Eastern Province | 255,110 |
| 3 | Bo | Southern Province | 233,684 |
| 4 | Koidu | Eastern Province | 128,030 |
| 5 | Makeni | Northern Province | 85,116 |
| 6 | Waterloo | Western Area | 55,000 |
| 7 | Port Loko | North West | 44,900 |
| 8 | Njala | Southern Province | 40,000 |
| 9 | Lunsar | Northern Province | 22,461 |
| 10 | Kabala | Northern Province | 17,948 |
| 11 | Segbwema | Eastern Province | 16,532 |
| 12 | Bumpe | Southern Province | 16,123 |
| 13 | Mile 91 | Northern Province | 15,491 |
| 14 | Magburaka | Northern Province | 14,915 |
| 15 | Kailahun | Eastern Province | 14,085 |
| 16 | Binkolo | Northern Province | 13,867 |
| 17 | Yengema | Eastern Province | 13,358 |
| 18 | Rokupr | Northern Province | 12,744 |
| 19 | Gandorhun | Southern Province | 12,288 |
| 20 | Gandorhun | Southern Province | 12,288 |
| 21 | Kambia | Northern Province | 11,520 |
| 22 | Bonthe | Southern Province | 10,206 |
| 23 | Pendembu | Eastern Province | 8,780 |
| 24 | Mattru Jong | Southern Province | 8,199 |
| 25 | Blama | Eastern Province | 8,146 |
| 26 | Kamakwie | Northern Province | 8,098 |
| 27 | Panguma | Eastern Province | 7,965 |
| 28 | Pujehun | Southern Province | 7,926 |
| 29 | Kukuna | Northern Province | 7,676 |
| 30 | Barma | Eastern Province | 7,529 |
| 31 | Boajibu | Eastern Province | 7,384 |
| 32 | Bunumbu | Eastern Province | 7,355 |
| 33 | Sumbuya | Southern Province | 7,074 |
| 34 | Baoma | Southern Province | 7,044 |
| 35 | Moyamba | Southern Province | 6,700 |
| 36 | Mambolo | Northern Province | 6,624 |
| 37 | Tombodu | Eastern Province | 5,985 |
| 38 | Daru | Eastern Province | 5,958 |
| 39 | Foindu | Southern Province | 5,868 |
| 40 | Masingbi | Northern Province | 5,644 |
| 41 | Motema | Eastern Province | 5,474 |
| 42 | Bomi | Southern Province | 5,463 |
| 43 | Tintafor | Northern Province | 5,460 |
| 44 | Buedu | Eastern Province | 5,412 |
| 45 | Mamboma | Southern Province | 5,201 |
| 46 | Kassiri | Northern Province | 5,161 |
| 47 | Hastings | Western Area | 5,121 |
| 48 | Hangha | Eastern Province | 5,007 |
| 49 | Potoru | Southern Province | 4,937 |
| 50 | Rotifunk | Southern Province | 4,858 |
Twenty years earlier: Sierra Leone in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 5,028,117.
Common questions
What is the population of Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone has a population of 8,996,745, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 12,948,325 — a forecast, not a measurement.
What is the capital of Sierra Leone?
Freetown.