Liberia

Sub-Saharan Africa·Low income

Population: 5.49M; 118th of 217
GDP: $4.75B; 171st of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $846; 202nd of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 62.2; 202nd of 217
Human development: 0.481; 176th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Liberia

Sierra Leone

Nigeria

Gambia, The

Guinea-Bissau

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

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

Area: 111,369 km²
Languages: English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages, including Liberian English variants
Resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Borders: Guinea; Cote d'Ivoire; Sierra Leone

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian85.2%▼ 0.6pt
Muslim12.7%▲ 0.7pt
Unaffiliated1.1%
Other1%

Religious diversity: 3.01 / 10 · moderate · 96th of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

LBR

SLE

NGA

GMB

GDP

current US$

$4.75B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$745M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

63.8%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

33.6%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

23.3%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

–––

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

–––

Population

people

5.49M–––

Population density

people per km²

55.8–––

Urban population

% of total

53.6%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

4–––

Net migration

people

-7,779–––

Population under 15

% of total

39.5%–––

Population 65+

% of total

3.3%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

13.5%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

2.3%–––

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

534–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

71–––

Electricity generation

TWh

0.4–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

3.01–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

1.1%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

2.3%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#171/214

$4.75B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#202/214

$8462024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#196/203

$1,795latest

GDP growth

annual %

#51/214

4.8%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#195/207

$7602024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#92/213

3.3%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#102/201

$745M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#74/205

63.8%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#9/206

33.6%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#105/208

23.3%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#34/187

2.9%latest

Gini index

0–100

#84/168

35.3latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#137/168

33.6%latest

GDP per capita, long run

2011 int'l $

#163/165

$8112022

Human capital index

PWT, schooling × returns

#118/144

2.032023

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#118/217

5.49Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#148/216

55.8latest

Urban population

% of total

#141/215

53.6%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#202/217

62.2latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#29/217

4latest

Net migration

people

#151/217

-7,7792024

Population under 15

% of total

#27/217

39.5%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#181/217

3.3%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#186/196

52.6latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#184/196

72.9latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#7/192

13.5%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#166/195

0.2latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#151/160

48.3%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#174/199

2.3%latest

Tertiary enrollment

% gross

#155/194

11.3%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#193/210

23.5%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#210/214

32.12022

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#183/208

0.32022

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#202/215

132024

Access to electricity

% of population

#206/215

32.5%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#188/198

5342023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#192/202

712023

Electricity generation

TWh

#180/202

0.42023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#93/202

33.3%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#105/202

66.7%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#36/204

0.92024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#13/204

0.22024

Share of global CO₂

#176/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#83/193

4.32023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#50/210

0.1%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#74/210

0.4%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#96/210

0.2%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#52/210

0.2%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#74/210

0.5492024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#73/175

0.5972025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#75/175

0.4172025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#61/175

0.8382025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#161/175

0.8772025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#88/175

0.6092025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#141/178

262022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#150/193

-0.9272022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#176/193

-1.442022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#152/193

-0.9152022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#118/193

-0.2922022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#62/175

0.8232025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#9/126

02025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#10/126

02025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#12/126

02025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#96/193

3.012020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#126/193

1.1%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#176/189

0.4812021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#164/170

0.6482021

Happiness

Cantril ladder, 0–10

#139/164

4.282025

Global Peace Index

1–5

#68/158

1.952023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#48/161

2.3%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.