By Mabinty M. Kamara
Latest data by the National Civil Registration Authority has indicated an addition to the female population in Sierra Leone out of a total of 235,373 (two hundred and thirty-five thousand, three hundred and seventy-three) live births for 2023.
Of that number 120,040 (one hundred and twenty thousand and forty) are females, accounting for 51% of the data, while the rest are males.
This represents a steady consistency as shown by the mid-tern census figures of 2021 which showed Sierra Leone’s population comprised more women than men, again with females making up 51%.
The NCRA data also recorded 3,842 (three thousand eight hundred and forty-two) stillbirths out of which 2,143 (two thousand one hundred and forty-three) are males, accounting for 56%.
A total of 13,186 (thirteen thousand one hundred and eighty-six) deaths were recorded in 2023 out of which the males made up a larger share of 7,252 (seven thousand two hundred and fifty-two) accounting for 55%, while 5,934 (a total of five thousand nine hundred and thirty-four) were females.
Three thousand seven hundred and ninety four (3,794) 28.8% were within ages 60 and above, followed by the ages of 35-59 accounting for three thousand seven hundred and ten (3,710) 28.1% and under five with three thousand and ninety nine (23.5%) whilst the ages 5-34 accounted for the list with two thousand five hundred and eighty three (19.3%).
However, the country has over the years recorded a steady decline in the number of infant mortality according to data presented by the United Nations World Population Prospect which states that the current infant mortality rate for Sierra Leone in 2023 is 70.123 deaths per 1,000 live births, “a 2.95% decline from 2022, the infant mortality rate for Sierra Leone in 2022 was 72.253 deaths per 1000 live births, a 2.86% decline from 2021”. The infant mortality rate for Sierra Leone in 2021 was 74.383 deaths per 1,000 live births, a 2.78% decline from 2020. The infant mortality rate for Sierra Leone in 2020 was 76.513 deaths per 1,000 live births, a 2.71% decline from 2019,” it reads.
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