Liberia Population

Population Distribution

As of 2023, the latest population of Liberia is 5,073,296, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).

Total population	5,073,296
Population growth rate	2.71%
Birth rate	38.30 births per 1,000 people
Life expectancy
Overall	57.81 years
Men	56.20 years
Women	59.47 years
Age structure
0-14 years	43.72%
15-64 years	53.43%
65 years and above	2.85%
Median age	18.10 years
Gender ratio (Male to Female)	1.00
Population density	45.55 residents per km²
Urbanization	46.70%
Ethnicities
16 ethnic groups in total: approx. 20% Kpelle, 14% Bassa, 9% Grebo, 8% Kru, 8% Gio, 7% Mandingo, 6% Loma, 5% Krahn
Religions
Indigenous religions 40%, Christians 40%, Muslims 20%
Human Development Index (HDI)	0.465
HDI ranking	176th out of 194

People in Liberia

About 20 ethnic groups live in Liberia. The Kpelle make up the largest proportion with 20.3 percent of the total population. They live mainly in the center of the country. The Bassa are represented with 13.4 percent. They live mainly in the central coastal regions of Liberia. Grebo make up 10 percent, Dan 8 percent and Mano 7.9 percent. Other peoples are Loma, Krahn, Gola, Vai, Kissi and Kru.

In addition to all these peoples, there are also descendants of Afro-American origin. They are called America Liberians or Creoles. Their ancestors were brought to Liberia to settle here. They were freed slaves whose ancestors had been brought to America from West Africa. Although they were always a minority, they ruled the country until 1980 and constituted the ruling class economically, culturally and politically. It was very similar in neighboring Sierra Leone.

• The children of Liberia: Each woman in Liberia has an average of 4.3 children. That is much. With us, each woman has an average of only 1.4 children. Children and young people in Liberia make up a large proportion of the population. Around half of the population is under 18 years old, 43 percent under 14 years old.
• Infant mortality is 2.4 percent, child mortality 5.3 percent (as of 2018, ours: 0.2 and 0.3 percent). That means: More than 2 out of 100 newborn children die, more than 5 children out of 100 do not celebrate their first birthday.
• Urban and rural: 52 out of 100 people in Liberia live in cities. So that’s just over half of all residents.

Languages in Liberia

The official language in Liberia is English, so classes in school are also in English. English is interspersed with numerous words from African languages. The pronunciation is also a little different. It is therefore also called Liberian English.

The many peoples of Liberia can be assigned to two language families: the Mande languages (which are mainly spoken in the west and north) and the Kwa languages (mainly in the east and south).

Religions in Liberia

85.6 percent of Liberia’s population are Christians. Muslims make up 12.2 percent. The remaining 2 percent either follow traditional religions or do not profess any religion.

Liberia Overview

Liberia, situated on the western coast of Africa, is renowned for its rich history as the first African republic to gain independence. Its capital, Monrovia, named after U.S. President James Monroe, reflects its American influence with its grid-like street layout. Liberia is famous for its pristine beaches along the Atlantic coastline, lush rainforests teeming with biodiversity, and vibrant cultural heritage, including traditional music and dance. Despite challenges, Liberia’s resilient people are known for their warmth, hospitality, and determination to rebuild their nation after years of civil war and adversity.

• Capital City: Monrovia
• Population: Approximately 5.1 million
• Area: 111,369 square kilometers
• Full Country Name: Republic of Liberia
• Currency: Liberian Dollar (LRD)
• Language: English
• ISO Country Codes: LR, LBR

Bordering Countries of Liberia

Liberia is a small West African nation located on the Atlantic Coast. It is bordered by Guinea to the north, Sierra Leone to the west, and Cote d’Ivoire to the east. The shared border between Liberia and Guinea is approximately 545 miles long, while the shared border between Liberia and Sierra Leone is around 200 miles long.

The relationship between Liberia and Guinea has been strained in recent years due to disputes over natural resources such as timber and diamonds. Despite this, both countries have taken steps towards improving their relations through various initiatives such as mutual visits by government officials and economic cooperation agreements.

The Republic of Sierra Leone shares a border of around 200 miles with Liberia. The two countries have had a long history of cooperation in areas such as trade, security, investment, tourism, health care and education. In addition, both countries are members of regional organizations such as ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) which provides them with an opportunity for further economic integration.

Cote d’Ivoire borders Liberia to the east with a shared border of approximately 300 miles in length. Although relations between these two countries have been strained in recent years due to political unrest in Cote d’Ivoire, there has been some progress made towards improving bilateral ties through initiatives such as joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration from Cote d’Ivoire into Liberia. In addition, both countries are members of regional organizations such as ECOWAS which could help foster closer ties between them in areas such as trade and security.