Moving to Sierra Leone from Senegal

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Senegal to Sierra Leone — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Senegal to Sierra Leone, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Senegal to Sierra Leone, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
306 ↓ 13% vs 2015

people born in Senegal live in Sierra Leone · UN DESA

Who's moving to Sierra Leone?

Top countries of origin for Sierra Leone's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Senegal and Sierra Leone stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2020

per 100,000 people per year

SN
0.3
SL
2.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SN
20.8
SL
13.8

Senegal generally does better on safety, though Sierra Leone leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SN
$206
SL
$159
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

SN
1.1
SL
1.3

Sierra Leone generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Senegal leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SN
65.0
SL
97.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SN
0.8t
SL
0.2t

Senegal generally does better on environment, though Sierra Leone leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SN
4.0
SL
0.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SN
16.3%
SL
0.5%

Senegal generally does better on infrastructure, though Sierra Leone leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SN
2.7%
SL
3.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SN
$1,955
SL
$846

Senegal generally does better on employment & economy, though Sierra Leone leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SN
68.9 yrs
SL
62.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SN
28.9
SL
54.6

Senegal performs better than Sierra Leone across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Direction Generale des Impots et des Domaines (2016), National Revenue Authority (2014), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Weather in Sierra Leone vs Senegal

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dakar Rain: 14.9 in/yr (379 mm)
82° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Freetown Rain: 116.0 in/yr (2946 mm)
86° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dakar Freetown
Jan–Mar 77°/64°F (25°/18°C) 87°/75°F (30°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 79°/70°F (26°/21°C) 87°/76°F (31°/24°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) 84°/74°F (29°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 85°/73°F (29°/23°C) 86°/75°F (30°/24°C)
View all months
Month Dakar Freetown
Jan 77°/64°F (24.9°/17.9°C) 86°/75°F (29.9°/23.8°C)
Feb 77°/64°F (24.8°/17.8°C) 87°/75°F (30.3°/24.0°C)
Mar 77°/65°F (25.1°/18.3°C) 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C)
Apr 76°/66°F (24.7°/19.1°C) 88°/77°F (31.2°/24.8°C)
May 79°/69°F (25.9°/20.6°C) 88°/76°F (30.9°/24.4°C)
Jun 83°/74°F (28.5°/23.5°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.6°C)
Jul 86°/77°F (29.9°/25.0°C) 84°/74°F (28.7°/23.1°C)
Aug 86°/77°F (30.2°/25.2°C) 83°/73°F (28.4°/23.0°C)
Sep 87°/77°F (30.6°/25.0°C) 84°/74°F (29.0°/23.1°C)
Oct 88°/77°F (30.9°/25.2°C) 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.4°C)
Nov 85°/74°F (29.7°/23.2°C) 86°/75°F (30.1°/24.0°C)
Dec 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) 85°/75°F (29.7°/24.1°C)

Data: Agence nationale de l'Aviation Civile et de la Météorologie (ANACIM) Agence nationale de l'Aviation Civile et de la Météorologie (ANACIM), Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency

Can you move from Senegal to Sierra Leone?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Senegal and Sierra Leone. To live, work, or study long-term in Sierra Leone, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sierra Leone's immigration authority.

Senegal passport

Senegal passport holder visiting Sierra Leone

Visa Free
Senegal passport holders can enter Sierra Leone without a visa.
Sierra Leone passport

Sierra Leone passport holder visiting Senegal

Visa Free
Sierra Leone passport holders can enter Senegal without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Sierra Leone?

With 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sierra Leone can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Senegal and Sierra Leone.

Is Sierra Leone safe for expats?

Senegal generally does better on safety, though Sierra Leone leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Sierra Leone is 2.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.3 in Senegal.

How is healthcare in Sierra Leone compared to Senegal?

Sierra Leone generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Senegal leads in health coverage index. There are 1.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Sierra Leone, compared to 1.1 in Senegal. Sierra Leone scores 41 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Senegal: 50).

What's the weather like in Sierra Leone compared to Senegal?

The average high temperature in Freetown is 86°F, compared to 82°F in Dakar. Freetown receives around 116.0 in of rainfall per year, while Dakar gets 14.9 in.

What language do they speak in Sierra Leone?

The official language in Sierra Leone is English. In Senegal, the official language is French.

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At a Glance

SN SL
Population 18,931,966 8,819,794
Currency CFA Franc BCEAO (F CFA) Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL)
Languages French English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +221 +232
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 17 —