
Population growth in Liberia
From 1960 to 2020 the population of Liberia increased from 1.12 m to 5.06 m people. This is a growth by 352.1 percent in 60 years. The highest increase in Liberia was recorded in 1998 with 8.22%. The biggest decrease in 1992 with -1.89%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 156.0 percent.
The average age in Liberia fell by 0.43 years from 2012 to 2020 from 18.43 to 18.00 years (median value).
Around 52% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.3% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Liberia
Population development in Liberia since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Liberia | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 1.14 M | 2.11 % | 48.8 ‰ | 29.2 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 1.17 M | 2.13 % | 48.8 ‰ | 28.9 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 1.19 M | 2.16 % | 48.8 ‰ | 28.5 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 1.22 M | 2.19 % | 48.7 ‰ | 28.1 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 1.25 M | 2.23 % | 48.7 ‰ | 27.6 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 1.27 M | 2.28 % | 48.6 ‰ | 27.1 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 1.30 M | 2.32 % | 48.6 ‰ | 26.5 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 1.33 M | 2.38 % | 48.5 ‰ | 26.0 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 1.37 M | 2.44 % | 48.5 ‰ | 25.4 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 1.40 M | 2.50 % | 48.6 ‰ | 24.9 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 1.44 M | 2.57 % | 48.6 ‰ | 24.3 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 1.47 M | 2.63 % | 48.7 ‰ | 23.8 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 1.51 M | 2.70 % | 48.7 ‰ | 23.2 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 1.56 M | 2.77 % | 48.7 ‰ | 22.7 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 1.60 M | 2.84 % | 48.8 ‰ | 22.1 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 1.65 M | 2.84 % | 48.8 ‰ | 21.6 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 1.69 M | 2.81 % | 48.8 ‰ | 21.1 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 1.74 M | 2.88 % | 48.7 ‰ | 20.6 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 1.79 M | 3.06 % | 48.7 ‰ | 20.1 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 1.85 M | 3.27 % | 48.7 ‰ | 19.7 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 1.92 M | 3.55 % | 48.6 ‰ | 19.4 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 1.99 M | 3.68 % | 48.4 ‰ | 19.2 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 2.06 M | 3.41 % | 48.2 ‰ | 19.1 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 2.11 M | 2.65 % | 48.0 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 2.15 M | 1.61 % | 47.7 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 2.16 M | 0.59 % | 47.3 ‰ | 19.1 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 2.15 M | -0.24 % | 46.8 ‰ | 19.2 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 2.13 M | -0.89 % | 46.4 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 2.11 M | -1.30 % | 45.9 ‰ | 19.4 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 2.08 M | -1.45 % | 45.4 ‰ | 19.4 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 2.04 M | -1.72 % | 44.9 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 2.00 M | -1.89 % | 44.6 ‰ | 19.1 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 1.98 M | -1.24 % | 44.3 ‰ | 18.7 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 1.99 M | 0.50 % | 44.1 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 2.04 M | 2.93 % | 44.0 ‰ | 17.7 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 2.16 M | 5.66 % | 43.9 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 2.33 M | 7.67 % | 43.7 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 2.52 M | 8.22 % | 43.5 ‰ | 15.9 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 2.70 M | 7.24 % | 43.3 ‰ | 15.4 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 2.85 M | 5.51 % | 42.9 ‰ | 15.0 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 2.95 M | 3.70 % | 42.5 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 3.02 M | 2.40 % | 42.0 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 3.08 M | 1.73 % | 41.4 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 3.14 M | 1.90 % | 40.8 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 3.22 M | 2.63 % | 40.2 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 3.33 M | 3.45 % | 39.6 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 3.46 M | 3.99 % | 39.0 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 3.61 M | 4.22 % | 38.3 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 3.75 M | 4.05 % | 37.7 ‰ | 10.0 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 3.89 M | 3.66 % | 37.1 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 4.02 M | 3.24 % | 36.5 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 4.14 M | 2.94 % | 35.9 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 4.25 M | 2.72 % | 35.3 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 4.36 M | 2.62 % | 34.8 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 4.47 M | 2.59 % | 34.3 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
2016 | 4.59 M | 2.56 % | 33.8 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
2017 | 4.70 M | 2.52 % | 33.4 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 4.82 M | 2.48 % | 33.0 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 7,602 M | 1.11 % | |
2019 | 4.94 M | 2.46 % | 32.7 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,683 M | 1.07 % | |
2020 | 5.06 M | 2.44 % | 32.4 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 7,763 M | 1.04 % |

Birth- and deathrate in Liberia
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Liberia increased by about 120,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.3 per 1000 people (~ 35,800 deaths) and the birth rate was 32.4 per 1000 people (~ 160,000 births). As a result, around 4,200 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 36,819 in Liberia. The number of births was 154,654 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate