Demographics of Liberia

As of 2006, Liberia has the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50% per annum).[1] 43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15 in 2010.[2] With recent civil wars being fought along ethnic lines, Liberia is a multiethnic and multicultural country. Diversity has always been celebrated in Liberian culture — ethnicity-based civil wars aside — in regard to cuisine, music, fashion, language and people.

Republic of Liberia
Subdivisions

Population
Liberia's population from 1961-2013.[3] Liberia's population tripled in 40 years.[3]

According to the 2019 revision of the World Population Prospects[4][5], Liberia's total population was 4,818,973 in 2018. This is compared to 911,000 in 1950.[2]

43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15 in 2010.[2] 53.7% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.8% were 65 years or older.[2]

As of 2006, Liberia has the highest population growth rate in the world (4.50% per annum).[1]

Total population Population aged 0–14 (%) Population aged 15–64 (%) Population aged 65+ (%)
1950 911 00041.055.93.0
1955 997 00041.156.12.8
1960 1 116 00041.455.92.7
1965 1 262 00043.054.32.6
1970 1 440 00044.153.32.6
1975 1 658 00044.852.62.6
1980 1 923 00045.551.92.6
1985 2 212 00045.951.52.6
1990 2 127 00045.652.82.6
1995 2 095 00044.552.82.6
2000 2 847 00043.653.82.6
2005 3 183 00043.354.02.7
2010 3 994 00043.553.72.8

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events is in Liberia not complete. The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. [2]

Period Live births per year Deaths per year Natural change per year CBR* CDR* NC* TFR* IMR*
1950-195545 00027 00017 00046.728.818.06.27224
1955-196051 00029 00022 00048.127.121.06.35208
1960-196558 00030 00028 00048.625.423.26.47194
1965-197065 00032 00033 00048.423.624.76.59181
1970-197576 00034 00041 00048.922.126.86.80169
1975-198088 00037 00051 00049.020.828.26.93158
1980-1985101 00043 00058 00048.820.828.06.96159
1985-1990102 00046 00057 00047.221.126.16.72164
1990-199595 00045 00050 00045.021.223.86.30168
1995-2000109 00049 00060 00044.019.824.26.01155
2000-2005128 00046 00082 00042.415.427.15.69116
2005-2010145 00043 000102 00040.512.028.55.4289
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Fertility and births

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[6][7]

Year CBR (Total) TFR (Total) CBR (Urban) TFR (Urban) CBR (Rural) TFR (Rural)
2007 37.6 5.2 (4.6) 32.5 3.8 (3.3) 40.4 6.2 (5.6)
2013 34.4 4.7 (4.0) 31.1 3.8 (3.3) 38.5 6.1 (5.1)
2019-20 30.1 4.2 27.5 3.4 33.6 5.5

Fertility data as of 2013 (DHS Program):[8]

Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40-49
North Western5.810.37.1
South Central3.86.75.8
South Eastern A6.59.66.7
South Eastern B5.99.27.1
North Central5.610.26.2

Life expectancy
Period Life expectancy in
Years[9]
1950–1955 33.13
1955–1960 34.19
1960–1965 35.39
1965–1970 37.92
1970–1975 40.78
1975–1980 44.52
1980–1985 46.97
1985–1990 47.33
1990–1995 47.68
1995–2000 52.59
2000–2005 52.39
2005–2010 58.11
2010–2015 60.70

Ethnic communities of Liberia

Indigenous

The indigenous ethnic groups of Liberia can be linguistically divided into three groups who speak;

to which must be added the immigrant communities;

The Gola ethnic group originated somewhere in central Africa. During the Empire of Ancient Ghana they were involved in the land-surveying and jurisprudence of the empire.

The other ethnic groups that fall under the Mande-Tan, Mande-Fu were also members of Ancient Ghana. Because of their influence in the judicial aspects of the Ghana, the Gola's social structure dominated through the Poro.

With the influx of Islam many groups adopted it while others resisted. The Golas fought three wars with pro-Islamic elements in a changing Ghana. These wars were known as the Kumba Wars. The Golas lost the third of these wars and were forced to retreat toward Sierra Leone. They were pursued by the Mende, Gbandi and Loma. Their battles with the Mende in Sierra Leone forced them to retreat yet again and settle finally in Liberia where they encountered the Dei.

Immigrants from Mali

The Kpelle, Gio, Mano, Mandingo and Vai groups migrated from the Empire of Mali for various reasons, some escaping political intrigue, others looking for a better life. The Vais, settled in Grand Cape Mount county in the west of Liberia, were the first to invent a form of writing in 1833 or 1834. The reported inventor was Dwalu Bukele of Bandakor along the Robertsport (provincial capital) highway.

Immigrants from Côte d'Ivoire

In the 16th century; Kru (Tajuasohn), Bassa, Belleh, Krahn, Grebo.

19th century
  • Americo-Liberians: Free black people and emancipated slaves, and their descendants, from the U.S. and the Caribbean
  • Congos is an eponymic term for "recaptives," people rescued from slave ships after the slave trade, not slavery itself, was abolished by Great Britain and the United States. These people were "repatriated" to Liberia (and Sierra Leone if rescued by the British) and their descendants. The term was used because many of these rescued Africans were thought to be from the Congo River Basin.[10][11][12]

Immigrants from Lebanon

In the late 19th century to early 20th century Lebanese merchants, families and businessmen began arriving in Liberia. Lebanese currently own many major businesses such as supermarkets, restaurants, textiles, construction works, factories and other production based companies across the country. Despite living in the country, Lebanese are denied citizenship rights due to Liberia's nationality law and are seen in a political view as foreigners.

Religion
Main article: Religion in Liberia

Religion in Liberia (2008)[13]

  Christianity (85.6%)
  Islam (12.2%)
  None (1.4%)
  Traditional (0.6%)
  Others (0.2%)

According to the 2008 National Census, 85.5% of Liberia's population practices Christianity.[14] Muslims comprise 12.2% of the population, largely coming from the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups.[14] The vast majority of Muslims are Malikite Sunni, with sizeable Shia and Ahmadiyya minorities.[15] Traditional indigenous religions are practiced by 0.5% of the population, while 1.8% subscribe to no religion.[14]

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.[16]

  • One birth every 3 minutes
  • One death every 15 minutes
  • One net migrant every 103 minutes
  • Net gain of one person every 4 minutes

The following demographic are from the CIA World Factbook[17] unless otherwise indicated.

Population
4,809,768 (July 2018 est.)

Age structure
Population pyramid of Liberia in 2017
0-14 years: 43.72% (male 1,062,766 /female 1,040,211)
15-24 years: 19.9% (male 478,041 /female 478,999)
25-54 years: 30.1% (male 711,963 /female 735,878)
55-64 years: 3.43% (male 84,474 /female 80,410)
65 years and over: 2.85% (male 67,229 /female 69,797) (2018 est.)

Median age
total: 17.8 years. Country comparison to the world: 217th
male: 17.6 years
female: 18.1 years (2018 est.)

Birth rate
37.9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 10th

Death rate
7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 116th

Total fertility rate
5 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 13th

Population growth rate
2.59% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 19th

Mother's mean age at first birth
19.2 years (2013 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Contraceptive prevalence rate
31% (2016)

Net migration rate
-4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 192nd

Religions

Christian 85.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Traditional 0.6%, other 0.2%, none 1.5% (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 83.2 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 77.6 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 5.5 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 18.1 (2015 est.)

Urbanization
urban population: 51.2% of total population (2018)
rate of urbanization: 3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population:1 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 63.8 years (2018 est.)
male: 61.6 years (2018 est.)
female: 66 years (2018 est.)
total population: 57 years (2011 est.)
male: 55.44 years
female: 58.6 years

Ethnic groups
Ethnic groups in Liberia (2008)[13]
Ethnic groups
Kpelle
 
 20.3%
Other
 
 20.1%
Bassa
 
 13.4%
Grebo
 
 10%
Gio
 
 8%
Mano
 
 7.9%
Kru
 
 6%
Lorma
 
 5.1%
Gola
 
 5.1%
Kissi
 
 4.8%

There are officially 17[18] ethnic groups that make up Liberia's indigenous African population, making up maybe 95% of the total: Kpelle, the largest group; Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mandingo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Sapo, Belleh (Kuwaa), Mende and Dey.

There are also more or less nomadic groups like the Fula, who engage mostly in trade, and the Fanti, who are often fishermen or traders of fish, usually from Ghana, living seasonally and more and more often permanently in Liberia.

Then there are Americo-Liberians, who are descendants of free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans who arrived in Liberia from 1822 onward and Congo People (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean), making up an estimated 5% of the population. They used to dominate political life in Liberia and still have a lot of influence.

There are about 5,000 people of European descent, many of them having settled down as miners, missionaries, business people, and so on. There also is a sizeable number of Lebanese, Indians, and other people with Asian roots who make up a significant part of Liberia's business community. Because of the civil war and its accompanying problem of insecurity, the number of non-Africans in Liberia is low and confined largely to Monrovia and its immediate surroundings. The Liberian constitution restricts citizenship to people of African descent.

Languages
Main article: Languages of Liberia

English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence.

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 47.6% (2015 est.)
male: 62.4% (2015 est.)
female: 32.8% (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 2.3% (2016 est.)
male: 2.4% (2016 est.)
female: 2.2% (2016 est.)
gollark: Actually, it changes your emotional state. So it is.
gollark: Greetings³boi.
gollark: Water isn't a drug due to being present in some drug things. Thus, apiologically, glucose cannot be food due to being part of food.
gollark: Irrelevant. Otherwise-illegal drugs are contained within ADHD medications, which are permitted.
gollark: Moronically written by complete beeoids.

See also

References
  1. "United Nations World Population Prospects: 2006 revision : Table A.8" (PDF). Un.org. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  2. Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision Archived May 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Data of FAO, year 2005
  4. ""World Population prospects – Population division"". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  5. ""Overall total population" – World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision" (xslx). population.un.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  6. "Liberia Demographic and Health Survey 2013" (PDF). Dhsprogram.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  7. "Demographic and Health Survey 2007" (PDF). Dhsprogram.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  8. "Demographic and Health Survey 2013" (PDF). Dhsprogram.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  9. "World Population Prospects - Population Division - United Nations". esa.un.org. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  10. Clegg 2004
  11. Ciment 2013
  12. Sundiata 2003
  13. "Africa :: LIBERIA". CIA The World Factbook.
  14. "International Religious Freedom Report 2010: Liberia". United States Department of State. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  15. "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity" (PDF). Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. August 9, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  16. "Liberia Population 2019", World Population Review
  17. "The World FactBook - Liberia", The World Factbook, July 12, 2018 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  18. "2008 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS" (PDF). Lisgis.net. Retrieved 26 October 2017.

Bibliography
  • Ciment, J. (2013) Another America: The Story of Liberia and the Former Slaves Who Ruled It. New York: Hill and Wang. ISBN 978-0-8090-9542-1
  • Clegg, C. (2004). The Price of Liberty: African Americans and the Making of Liberia. Chapel Hill: UNC Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-2845-8
  • Sundiata, I. (2003) Brothers and Strangers: Black Zion, Black Slavery, 1914-1940. Durham: Duke University Press ISBN 0-8223-3233-7
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