Infant mortality rate is 129 per 1,000 births. Life expectancy for males and females is 34 years. English is the official language, but most people speak Krio.
Rice is a staple food, but malnutrition is wide-spread among children.
Extreme poverty affects two-thirds of the population. Government-provided health care is considered inadequate. Citizens have a limited knowledge of nutrition and preventive care. Common illnesses include anemia, gastrointestinal disease, malaria and tuberculosis, and the HIV infection rate is high. Civil war in 1998 and 1999 inflicted terrible atrocities on the population.