National Identity
- Official name
- Republic of Liberia
- Name etymology
name derives from the Latin word liber, meaning "free;" so named because the nation was created as a homeland for liberated African-American slaves
Sources:- 1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia ↗ - The Judiciary - Supreme Court of Liberia
- The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
As published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia The Liberian Flag consists of six red stripes and five alternating white stripes, totaling eleven stripes [...] the blue field, in the upper left corner of a rectangular form with a single white star in the center of the blue field
As published in EnglishAs published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia totaling eleven stripes, each representing one of the eleven signers of the Declaration of Independence of Liberia; [...] a single white star in the center of the blue field, depicting Liberia as the then only independent state on the continent of Africa; the color red symbolizes the blood of those who died in the struggle for independence; the color white indicates the purity of mind of all our fore bearers toward each other; and the Blue for the dark continent of Africa as it was then depicted
As published in EnglishAs published by the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs of the Republic of Liberia Seven courageous women, led by Susana Lewis, stitched it into being in 1847 with needle, thread, and cloth as our forefathers prepared to declare independence.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia the making of the National Flag of the Republic of Liberia was a historic event of great significance for Liberia as Africa’s Pacesetter in the struggle for self-determination and inspiration to future African States.
As published in EnglishSources:- mofa.gov.lr ↗ - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia
- emansion.gov.lr ↗ - the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs of the Republic of Liberia
- National anthem
- All Hail, Liberia Hail!1:28
- Title
- All Hail, Liberia Hail!
- Lyrics
- English
1All hail, Liberia, hail! All hail, Liberia, hail! This glorious land of liberty Shall long be ours. Though new her name, Green be her fame, And mighty be her powers, And mighty be her powers, In joy and gladness With our hearts united, We’ll shout the freedom Of a race benighted, Long live Liberia, happy land! A home of glorious liberty, By God’s command! A home of glorious liberty, By God’s command!
2All hail, Liberia, hail! All hail, Liberia, hail! In union strong success is sure We cannot fail! With God above Our rights to prove We will o’er all prevail, We will o’er all prevail, With heart and hand Our country’s cause defending We’ll meet the foe With valour unpretending. Long live Liberia, happy land! A home of glorious liberty, By God’s command! A home of glorious liberty, By God’s command!
Source: - Citizens
- Liberians
- Official name:1986 Constitution of the Republic of Liberia ↗ - The Judiciary - Supreme Court of Liberia
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- National flag:mofa.gov.lr ↗ - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia
- National flag:emansion.gov.lr ↗ - the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs of the Republic of Liberia
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone
- Total area
- 111,369 km²
- Land area
- 96,320 km²
- Water area
- 15,049 km²
- Land borders
- 1,667 km(3 countries)
- Côte d'Ivoire
- 778 km
- Guinea
- 590 km
- Sierra Leone
- 299 km
Source:- The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- Coastline
- 579 km
- Terrain
Mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast - Mean elevation
- 243 m
- Highest point
- 1,447 mMount Wuteve
- Lowest point
- 0 mAtlantic Ocean
- Climate
Tropical hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers - Avg. temperature
- 25.1 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 22.2 to 29.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 2,318 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 30.5 25.4 21.6 58 February 31.2 26.2 22.6 88 March 30.9 26.2 23 153 April 30.3 25.9 23 184 May 29.6 25.5 22.8 250 June 28.3 24.7 22.3 281 July 27.2 24 21.9 235 August 27.1 23.9 21.9 283 September 27.9 24.3 22.1 338 October 28.9 24.8 22.2 247 November 29.5 25 22 134 December 29.6 25 21.6 68 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable5.2%Perm. crops2.1%Pasture12.7%Forest66.5%Other13.5%
- Arable land
- 500,000 hectares (5.2%)
- Permanent crops
- 200,000 hectares (2.1%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 1,223,040 hectares (12.7%)
- Forest
- 6,407,680 hectares (66.5%)
- Other land
- 1,301,280 hectares (13.5%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- River floods7.5Very high#32/191Epidemics7.5Very high#9/191Coastal floods4.1Medium#87/191Tsunamis2.5Very low#84/191Drought0.4Very low#170/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191Tropical cyclones0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +2.14% per year+122,743 people/yearWorld Rank38thof 237
- Birth rate
- 29.9 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 7.9 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −0.2 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 19.0 yearsWorld Rank210thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years38.6%15-64 years58.0%65 years +3.4%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 3.4%
- Share aged under 18
- 45.6%
- Total dependency ratio
- 72
- Youth dependency ratio
- 67
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 6
- Sex ratio
- 1 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.2% 0.2% 70-79 0.7% 0.8% 60-69 1.6% 1.9% 50-59 2.8% 3.0% 40-49 4.5% 4.6% 30-39 6.0% 6.0% 20-29 8.9% 8.8% 10-19 12.0% 11.7% 0-9 13.4% 13.0% - 2026
- 1.41 above the replacement level for Liberia ()3.71 births per womanreplacement 2.301234World Rank29thof 237
- 1.64 daughters per woman0.64 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.52
- 2026
- +22.0 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 22.0 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- −0.2 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 56.6% live in 3,314,942 urban residents
- Largest cities2008latest available
- Monrovia, Gbarnga, Buchanan, GantaRankCity, Town or Urban AreaPopulation (2008 census)1Monrovia1,021,7622Gbarnga56,9863Buchanan50,2454Ganta42,0775Kakata34,6086Zwedru25,3497Harbel25,3098Harper23,5179Pleebo23,46410Foya20,569Source:
- Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (2008 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- More than half of the population lives in urban areas, with approximately one third living within an 80-km (50-mi) radius of Monrovia.
- Ethnic groups2022
- Kpelle20.2%Bassa13.6%Grebo9.9%Gio7.9%Mano7.2%Kru5.5%Lorma4.8%Krahn4.5%Kissi4.3%Mandingo4.2%Vai3.8%Gola3.8%Gbandi2.9%Mende1.7%Sapo1.0%Belle0.7%Dey0.3%Other Liberian ethnic group0.4%Other African3.0%Non-African0.2%
- Religions2022
- Christian84.9%Muslim12.0%Traditional0.5%Other0.1%None2.6%
- Languages
- English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (2008 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President is elected by universal adult suffrage of registered voters for a six-year term, and no one may serve more than two terms (Art. 50).Source:
- System of government
- PresidentialThe President is also Head of Government; the Legislature can remove the President only by impeachment for defined offences, and no provision lets the President dissolve either House, whose members serve fixed terms (Arts. 48, 50, 62).Source:
- Constitution of the Republic of Liberia (1986) ↗, Arts. 48, 50, 62
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Monrovia1.8 million people(2022)
- National holidays
- 11 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- WedFeb 11Armed Forces Day
- WedMar 11Decoration Day
- SunMar 15J. J. Roberts Memorial Birthday
- FriApr 10Fasting and Prayer Day
- ThuMay 14National Unification and Integration Day
- SunJul 26Independence Day
- MonAug 24National Flag Day
- ThuNov 5Thanksgiving Day
- SunNov 29Tubman Administration Goodwill Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- GMTGreenwich Mean TimeUTC+0
- Currency
- Liberian Dollar (LRD)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +231
- Internet TLD
- .lr
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- LR, LBR
- Infrastructure
- Aircraft registration prefix
- A8
Source:- The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- 2025
- 28 / 100World Rank136thof 182
Significant declinerDown 13 points since 2012, when it scored 41.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 41 35 47 2013 38 33 43 2014 37 32 42 2015 37 30 44 2016 37 31 43 2017 31 26 36 2018 32 27 37 2019 28 23.6 32.4 2020 28 24.7 31.3 2021 29 26.2 31.8 2022 26 23.2 28.8 2023 25 22.3 27.7 2024 27 23.7 30.3 2025 28 24.5 31.5 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Constitution of the Republic of Liberia (1986) ↗ - Ministry of National Defense of Liberia
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Low income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +5.5% per yearWorld Rank25thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $976 (183rd in the world)
Source:- 2011latest available
- Services49.4% of GDPIndustry8.3% of GDPAgriculture35.9% of GDPManufacturing2.3%part of industryThe shape of the economySource:
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 5.9%down 2.4 percentage points2.4pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 2.6 million (46% of population)World Rank118thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 76.6% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 2.9%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 2.2% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $1.5 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 1.4% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 19.9% of GDP, $1.1 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt56.5% of GDP
- Trade2024
- Goods$1.3 billion96.8%
- Services$42.6 million3.2%
- Total exports
- $1.4 billion
- Change from 2023
- up 18.1 percent on the previous year18.1%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- 2024
- −2.19World Rank140thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +1.7% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Natural rubber in primary forms, Cocoa beans, Green corn (maize), and 7 more
- 1Natural rubber in primary forms48.5×
- 2Cocoa beans31.8×
- 3Green corn (maize)14.6×
- 4Cassava (fresh)9.8×
- 5Taro8.8×
- 6Plantains and cooking bananas6.3×
- 7Bananas5.7×
- 8Oil palm fruit2.5×
- 9Rice2.2×
- 10Sweet potatoes1.5×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- mining (iron ore and gold), rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Average gross salary2017
- $1,309 per month$3,246 (PPP)
- Median
- $125 per month
- Men
- $1,259 per month
- Women
- $1,466 per month
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- $91 per month, gross$180 (PPP)
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.510LowWorld Rank177thof 193LiberiaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Liberia World 1999 0.403 0.646 2000 0.443 0.651 2001 0.448 0.657 2002 0.453 0.662 2003 0.429 0.669 2004 0.442 0.675 2005 0.446 0.681 2006 0.450 0.688 2007 0.455 0.694 2008 0.459 0.698 2009 0.463 0.701 2010 0.467 0.707 2011 0.471 0.713 2012 0.475 0.717 2013 0.481 0.721 2014 0.479 0.726 2015 0.480 0.731 2016 0.485 0.735 2017 0.491 0.739 2018 0.495 0.741 2019 0.497 0.745 2020 0.498 0.742 2021 0.503 0.742 2022 0.508 0.752 2023 0.510 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2016latest available
- 35.3
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 6.2 years
- Expected for a child today
- 10.5 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2010latest available
- 59.4% of adults
- Education expenditure2021
- 2.4% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 7.4%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2022
- 30.4% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 34.4%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2022
- 1.7 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 6,254
- Fixed broadband
- 0.3 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2024
- 2% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 4%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 52%
- Mobile-money account
- 48%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 50%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 1,167 people
- Asylum seekers
- 687
- Internally displaced persons
- 170(2023)All due to disasters
- Refugees from Liberia abroad
- 5,101
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2012
- 3.1 per 100,000 peopleMedium by global standards
- Crime rates
- 1 offence category
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 3.1 135 2012 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2021
- 55.6 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 2,925
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 62.6 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 13% of GDP$104 per person
- Physicians2022
- 0.18 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2021
- 1.6 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 53.5 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 628 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 2.8 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2020
- 6.4% of adults
- Men
- 10.7%
- Women
- 2.1%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 38.9 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0.87 Mt per yearup 3.3 percent on the previous year3.3% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 0.2 t per personWorld Rank199thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 3.13 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0.46 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.01 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 4.46 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 13.1 µg/m³ of PM2.50.8 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted108thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- tropical rainforest 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
Source:- The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- International agreements
- 20 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 75 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2018 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 2003 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1996 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1996 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 2001 CITES in force 1981 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2004 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2003 Nagoya Protocol in force 2015 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 2003 World Heritage Convention in force 2002 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1998 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 2004 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2004 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2024 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 2008 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) in force 2026 MARPOL 73/78 in force 1983 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 24.4% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 232 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 43,176 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 14% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 0.1 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 8%
- Water stress
- 0% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 38.3% of the population2 million people
- Obesity2024
- 17.8% of adults
- Men
- 13.4%
- Women
- 21.9%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2019
- 10.9% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 2.05 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 9.6% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- No electricity trade0.6 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0.6 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.4 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 4,853 b/d in 2024Consumption20244,853 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 0.7% of GDP$33.8 million, 3.2% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 2,000active Armed Forces
- Military service2025
- Voluntarymen and women 18+
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Liberia - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
