Languages spoken in Sierra Leone
Africa · Capital: Freetown · Population 9.1 million
The official language of Sierra Leone is English. Krio is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 95% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 8.7 million people. Krio itself holds no official status in Sierra Leone, despite being the most widely spoken. After Krio, the most widely spoken are English at 35% and Mende at 27%. Krio is not recorded in any of Sierra Leone's two neighbours. In total, four languages are recorded in Sierra Leone, and their shares add up to 183% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Sierra Leone?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krio | 95% | Spoken | 8.7 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 35% | Official | 3.2 million |
| Mende | 27% | Spoken | 2.5 million |
| Timne | 26% | Spoken | 2.4 million |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Sierra Leone?
The official language of Sierra Leone is English. English is spoken by an estimated 35% of the population, or roughly 3.2 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. That is not the most widely spoken language in the country: Krio is, at 95%.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Krio in Sierra Leone?
An estimated 95% of Sierra Leone's 9.1 million people speak Krio, which works out at roughly 8.7 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Sierra Leone
- Capital
- Freetown
- Population
- 9.1 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 71,740 km²
- Currency
- SLE
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- SL / SLE / 694
Which countries border Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone shares a land border with two countries: Guinea and Liberia. None of them records Krio, the most widely spoken language in Sierra Leone, so the land borders here are also language borders.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.