Sierra Leone’s electricity access rose to 39.2% of population in 2024.

Higher is better. A higher share is better because each additional point means more people can light homes, charge phones, run equipment and keep food cold. Sierra Leone's latest figure is 39.2% of population for 2024, up from 35.5% of population a year earlier, a gain of 3.7 percentage points. Since 2015 the series has ranged from a low of 19.7% of population in 2015 to a high of 39.2% of population in 2024. The latest reading is therefore the highest in the window, and it is roughly double the starting level.

Why it matters. At 39.2% of population, a majority of people in Sierra Leone still live without a household electricity connection. These households depend on kerosene, torches, batteries or generators for light and power, which costs more per unit of energy and carries health and fire risks. Small firms without a grid connection must run their own generators or limit their hours, and the state faces a large connection task to extend the grid.