Official 2025 national census of pupils and schools.
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Education in Sierra Leone
DATAEducation profile
Education profile 路 Reference periods shown
Sierra Leone's 2025 Annual School Census counted 3,450,104 pupils across 13,444 schools. The census also recorded 11,180 approved schools and 8,140 public schools receiving government support. Sierra Leone's latest school census provides a current national administrative snapshot and is therefore used ahead of older proxy indicators.
Sierra Leone education snapshot
Sierra Leone's latest school census provides a current national administrative snapshot and is therefore used ahead of older proxy indicators.
Pupils
3,450,104
Schools
13,444
Approved schools
11,180
Supported public schools
8,140
* Reference years and benchmark labels are shown with the figures.
How the education pathway works
The stage map follows the school levels covered by the national census before later technical and higher-education routes.
| Stage | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-primary education | Early years | Pre-primary is one of the school levels enumerated in the census. |
| Primary education | Primary | Primary schools form the largest core school stage. |
| Junior and senior secondary | Secondary | Secondary education is reported across junior and senior levels. |
| TVET and higher education | Post-school | Further technical and tertiary routes continue beyond school. |
Key evidence
The pupil figure is a learner headcount, while the other three cards describe the school network and its approval or support status.
| Measure | Value | Year | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils | 3,450,104 | 2025 | Annual School Census |
| Schools | 13,444 | 2025 | All enumerated schools |
| Approved schools | 11,180 | 2025 | Approved status |
| Supported public schools | 8,140 | 2025 | Receiving government support |
* Reference years and benchmark labels are shown with the figures.
How to read the Sierra Leone evidence
Approved schools and supported public schools are subsets of the wider 13,444-school census total.
The census notes stronger verification in 2025, so the page does not reinterpret the small year-on-year enrolment decline as a trend beyond what the source states.
Frequently asked questions
How many pupils were counted in Sierra Leone's 2025 census?
The Annual School Census reports 3,450,104 pupils.
How many schools were enumerated?
The 2025 total is 13,444 schools.
How many approved schools were reported?
The census reports 11,180 approved schools.
How many supported public schools were reported?
The 2025 count is 8,140.
Sources and methodology
MBSSE supplies the headline national figures; UNESCO-UNEVOC is supplementary context.
Supplementary country-specific participation indicators.
Methodology: Sierra Leone school counts retain their 2025 census definitions and subset relationships.