Background: 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 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion 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. A 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted TAYLOR’s resignation. He 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 2005, 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 after 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 struggled to improve the country’s economy. In 2023, former Vice President Joseph BOAKAI was elected president, edging out WEAH by a thin margin, the first time since 1927 that an incumbent was not re-elected after one term.

Area
Total: 111,369 km²
Land: 96,320 km²
Water: 15,049 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,667 km
Border countries (3): (3) Guinea 590 km; Côte d'Ivoire 778 km; Sierra Leone 299 km

Coastline: 579 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Wuteve 1,447 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 243 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 20% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 5.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 12.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 66.5% (2023 est.)
Other: 13.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March)

Geography
Note: facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Population
Total: 5,437,249 (2024 est.)
Male: 2,711,324
Female: 2,725,925
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, as shown in this population distribution map
Growth rate: 2.32% (2024 est.)

Languages: English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages, including Liberian English variants

Religions: Christian 84.9%, Muslim 12%, Traditional 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 2.6% (2022 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.9% (male 1,064,100/female 1,052,556)
15-64 years: 57.9% (male 1,566,263/female 1,579,835)
65 years and over: 3.2% (2024 est.) (male 80,961/female 93,534)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 72.8 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 67.3 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 18 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 19.8 years
Female: 20 years

Population growth rate: 2.32% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 32.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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, as shown in this population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.678 million MONROVIA (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 628 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 55.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 61 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 50.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 59.9 years
Female: 63.3 years

Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 15.4% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 34.5% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 24.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 29.9% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 74.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 51% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.9% (2019 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 2.9% (2024 est.); 3% (2023 est.); 3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Monrovia
Geographic coordinates: 6 18 N, 10 48 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named after James MONROE (1758-1831), the fifth president of the United States and supporter of Liberia's colonization by freed slaves

Administrative divisions: 15 counties; Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, River Gee, Sinoe

Legal system: mixed system of common law, based on Anglo-American law and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024)
Head of government: President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term)
Most recent election date: 10 October 2023, with a runoff on 14 November 2023
2023: Joseph BOAKAI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - George WEAH (CDC) 43.8%, Joseph BOAKAI (UP) 43.4%, Edward APPLETON (GDM) 2.2%, Lusinee KAMARA (ALCOP) 2%, Alexander B. CUMMINGS, Jr. (CPP) 1.6%, Tiawan Saye GONGLOE (LPP) 1.4%, other 5.6%; percentage of vote in second round - Joseph BOAKAI 50.6%, George WEAH 49.4%
2017: George WEAH elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - George WEAH (Coalition for Democratic Change) 38.4%, Joseph BOAKAI (UP) 28.8%, Charles BRUMSKINE (LP) 9.6%, Prince JOHNSON (MDR) 8.2%, Alexander B. CUMMINGS (ANC) 7.2%, other 7.8%; percentage of vote in second round - George WEAH 61.5%, Joseph BOAKAI 38.5%
Expected date of next election: October 2,029
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Legislature
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white; a five-pointed white star sits on a blue square in the upper-left corner

National anthem
Title: 'All Hail, Liberia, Hail!'
Lyrics/music: Daniel Bashiel WARNER/Olmstead LUCA
History: lyrics adopted 1847, music adopted 1860; the anthem's author later became the third president of Liberia

Real gdp growth rate: 4.8% (2024 est.); 4.7% (2023 est.); 4.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 4.8% (2024 est.); 4.7% (2023 est.); 4.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 33.6% (2024 est.)
Industry: 23.3% (2024 est.)
Services: 42.1% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: mining (iron ore and gold), rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds

Industrial production growth rate: 6.1% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 2.607 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 2.9% (2024 est.); 3% (2023 est.); 3% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 2.9% (2024 est.); 3% (2023 est.); 3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $5 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $6 million (2019 est.)

Exports: $1.22 billion (2022 est.); $1.041 billion (2021 est.); $731.658 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: gold, ships, iron ore, rubber, refined petroleum (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $1.961 billion (2022 est.); $1.739 billion (2021 est.); $1.371 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, rice, trucks, centrifuges (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 199,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 215.96 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 179.222 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 31.8% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 53.7%
Access electrification - rural areas: 14.9%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 66.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 32.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Imports: 75,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 671,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 4 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 671,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 1.822 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 6,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1.65 million (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 24% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 15,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

Military expenditures: 0.7% of GDP (2024 est.); 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.); 0.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 19 (2025)

Railways
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

Merchant marine
Total: 4,821 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 1,895, container ship 1,013, general cargo 170, oil tanker 1,038, other 705