With 28 ethnic groups and languages, Liberia is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. For hundreds of years, the Mali and Songhai Empires claimed most of Liberia. Beginning in the 15th century, European traders began establishing outposts along the Liberian coast. Unlike its neighbors, however, Liberia did not fall under European colonial rule. In the early 19th century, the US began sending freed enslaved people and other people of color to Liberia to establish settlements. In 1847, these settlers declared independence from the US, writing their own constitution and establishing Africa’s first republic.Early in Liberia’s history, tensions arose between the Americo-Liberian settlers and the indigenous population. In 1980, Samuel DOE, who was from the indigenous population, led a military coup and ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE’s regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 permitted an election that brought TAYLOR to power. In 2000, fighting resumed. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted President TAYLOR’s resignation. TAYLOR was later convicted by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague for his involvement in Sierra Leone’s civil war. In late 2005, President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF became president after two years of transitional governments; she was the first female head of state in Africa. In 2011, JOHNSON SIRLEAF won reelection but struggled to rebuild Liberia’s economy, particularly following the 2014-15 Ebola epidemic, and to reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. In 2017, former soccer star George WEAH won the presidential runoff election, marking the first successful transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another since the end of Liberia’s civil wars. Like his predecessor, WEAH has struggled to improve the country’s economy. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2023.
land: 96,320 sq km
water: 15,049 sq km
border countries (3): Guinea 590 km; Cote d’Ivoire 778 km; Sierra Leone 299 km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 243 m
arable land: 5.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 44.6% (2018 est.)
other: 27.3% (2018 est.)
5,506,280 (2023 est.)
noun: Liberian(s)
adjective: Liberian
Kpelle 20.3%, Bassa 13.4%, Grebo 10%, Gio 8%, Mano 7.9%, Kru 6%, Lorma 5.1%, Kissi 4.8%, Gola 4.4%, Krahn 4%, Vai 4%, Mandingo 3.2%, Gbandi 3%, Mende 1.3%, Sapo 1.3%, other Liberian 1.7%, other African 1.4%, non-African 0.1% (2008 est.)
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages few of which can be written or used in correspondence
Christian 85.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Traditional 0.6%, other 0.2%, none 1.5% (2008 est.)
Liberia’s high fertility rate of nearly 5 children per woman and large youth cohort – more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2020 – will sustain a high dependency ratio for many years to come. Significant progress has been made in preventing child deaths, despite a lack of health care workers and infrastructure. Infant and child mortality have dropped nearly 70% since 1990; the annual reduction rate of about 5.4% is the highest in Africa.Nevertheless, Liberia’s high maternal mortality rate remains among the world’s worst; it reflects a high unmet need for family planning services, frequency of early childbearing, lack of quality obstetric care, high adolescent fertility, and a low proportion of births attended by a medical professional. Female mortality is also increased by the prevalence of female genital cutting (FGC), which is practiced by 10 of Liberia’s 16 tribes and affects more than two-thirds of women and girls. FGC is an initiation ritual performed in rural bush schools, which teach traditional beliefs on marriage and motherhood and are an obstacle to formal classroom education for Liberian girls.Liberia has been both a source and a destination for refugees. During Liberia’s 14-year civil war (1989-2003), more than 250,000 people became refugees and another half million were internally displaced. Between 2004 and the cessation of refugee status for Liberians in June 2012, the UNHCR helped more than 155,000 Liberians to voluntarily repatriate, while others returned home on their own. Some Liberian refugees spent more than two decades living in other West African countries. Between 2011 and 2022, more than 300,000 Ivoirian refugees in Liberia have been repatriated; as of year-end 2022, less than 2,300 Ivoirian refugees were still living in Liberia.
0-14 years: 42.69% (male 1,187,795/female 1,162,699)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 1,486,582/female 1,514,163)
65 years and over: 2.82% (2023 est.) (male 75,258/female 79,783)
total dependency ratio: 79.7
youth dependency ratio: 73.7
elderly dependency ratio: 6
potential support ratio: 16.7 (2021 est.)
total: 19.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 19.6 years
female: 19.9 years
2.37% (2023 est.)
33 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
more than half of the population lives in urban areas, with approximately one-third living within an 80-km radius of Monrovia as shown in this
urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
1.678 million MONROVIA (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
19.1 years (2019/20 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
652 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 56.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 61.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 50.6 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 61.3 years (2023 est.)
male: 59.7 years
female: 63 years
4.03 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.98 (2023 est.)
24.9% (2019/20)
improved: urban: 96.2% of population
rural: 70.6% of population
total: 84% of population
unimproved: urban: 3.8% of population
rural: 29.4% of population
total: 16% of population (2020 est.)
9.5% of GDP (2020)
0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
improved: urban: 68% of population
rural: 25.2% of population
total: 47.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 32% of population
rural: 74.8% of population
total: 52.5% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever
9.9% (2016)
total: 3.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 8.2% (2020 est.)
male: 14.3% (2020 est.)
female: 2% (2020 est.)
10.9% (2019/20)
48.7% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 5.8% NA
women married by age 18: 24.9% NA
men married by age 18: 8.4% (2020 est.)
2.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.3%
male: 62.7%
female: 34.1% (2017)
tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; hunting of endangered species for bushmeat; pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage; pollution of rivers from industrial run-off; burning and dumping of household waste
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
agricultural land: 28.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 5.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 44.6% (2018 est.)
other: 27.3% (2018 est.)
urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
severe localized food insecurity: due to high food prices and economic downturn - levels of acute food insecurity are expected to increase in 2023 associated with high food prices due to high international commodity prices and elevated transportation costs, exacerbated by the unfolding effects of the war in Ukraine on international trade and commodity prices; food availability and access are likely to remain limited by high food prices and below‑average imports; an expected further slowdown in economic domestic growth in 2023 is likely to compound food insecurity conditions for the most vulnerable households; in the June to August 2023 lean season period, over 531,000 people are projected to face acute food insecurity (2023)
13.27% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 35.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 1.39 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 6.56 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 564,467 tons (2007 est.)
municipal: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
232 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
low-income West African economy; food scarcity, especially in rural areas; high poverty and inflation; bad recession prior to COVID-19 due to Ebola crisis; growing government debt; longest continuously operated rubber plantation; large informal economy
$7.391 billion (2021 est.)
$7.04 billion (2020 est.)
$7.257 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.99% (2021 est.)
-2.98% (2020 est.)
-2.47% (2019 est.)
$1,400 (2021 est.)
$1,400 (2020 est.)
$1,500 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$3.071 billion (2019 est.)
23.56% (2018 est.)
12.42% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 34% (2017 est.)
industry: 13.8% (2017 est.)
services: 52.2% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 128.8% (2016 est.)
government consumption: 16.7% (2016 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 19.5% (2016 est.)
investment in inventories: 6.7% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 17.5% (2016 est.)
imports of goods and services: -89.2% (2016 est.)
cassava, sugar cane, oil palm fruit, rice, bananas, vegetables, plantains, rubber, taro, maize
mining (iron ore and gold), rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
16.25% (2021 est.)
2.289 million (2021 est.)
4.09% (2021 est.)
3.98% (2020 est.)
3.02% (2019 est.)
total: 3.2% (2021 est.)
male: 3.2%
female: 3.2%
50.9% (2016 est.)
35.3 (2016 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.1% (2007)
revenues: $5 million (2019 est.)
expenditures: $6 million (2019 est.)
-4.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
34.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
28.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
16.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
-$653.403 million (2019 est.)
-$674.092 million (2018 est.)
-$565.564 million (2017 est.)
$554.013 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$527.345 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$429.592 million (2017 est.)
Guyana 32%, Poland 10%, Switzerland 8%, Japan 7%, China 5% (2019)
gold, ships, iron, rubber, cocoa beans, palm oil (2021)
$1.244 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.245 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.232 billion (2017 est.)
China 41%, Japan 21%, South Korea 18% (2019)
ships, refined petroleum, iron structures, boat propellers, centrifuges (2019)
$340.966 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$297.071 million (31 December 2019 est.)
$332.151 million (31 December 2018 est.)
$826 million (2019 est.)
$679 million (2018 est.)
Liberian dollars (LRD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
191.518 (2020 est.)
186.43 (2019 est.)
144.056 (2018 est.)
112.707 (2017 est.)
94.427 (2016 est.)
population without electricity: 4 million (2020)
electrification - total population: 29.8% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 49.5% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 8% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 196,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 292 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 26 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 40.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 59.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 9,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
8,181 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
1.346 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.346 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
3.79 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
A8
29 (2021)
2
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
27
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
4 km oil (2013)
total: 429 km (2008)
standard gauge: 345 km (2008) 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 84 km (2008) 1.067-m gauge
note: most sections of the railways inoperable due to damage sustained during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt
total: 10,600 km (2018)
paved: 657 km (2018)
unpaved: 9,943 km (2018)
total: 4,311 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 1,673, container ship 962, general cargo 141, oil tanker 907, other 628
major seaport(s): Buchanan, Monrovia
manyapis