Editing Demographics of Liberia

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use Liberian English|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox place demographics|place=[[Liberia]]|image=File:Liberia single age population pyramid 2020.png|image_size=350|caption=Population pyramid of Liberia in 2020|size_of_population=5,358,483 (2022 est.)|nation=Liberian|official=English|age_0-14_years=43.35%|sr_65_years_over=|growth=2.73% (2022 est.)|birth=36.64 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)|death=6.62 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)|net_migration=-2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)|age_65_years=2.83%}}{{Liberia sidebar}}
	
==Population==
According to {{UN_Population|source}}, Liberia's total population was {{UN_Population|Liberia}} in {{UN_Population|Year}}. This is compared to 911,000 in 1950.<ref name="WPP 2010"/>

43.5% of Liberians were below the age of 15 in 2010.<ref name="WPP 2010"/> 53.7% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.8% were 65 years or older.<ref name="WPP 2010">[http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506065230/http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm |date=May 6, 2011 }}</ref>

Estimates of Liberia's population prior to the 20th century are unreliable due to the lack of historical censuses.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Reconstructing the Fragments: Liberia's Economic History, 1847–1980 |date=2022 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/sovereignty-without-power/reconstructing-the-fragments/50F73CA82992D6E3DBAC1B14A8260C4D |work=Sovereignty without Power: Liberia in the Age of Empires, 1822–1980 |series=Cambridge Studies in Economic History - Second Series |pages=1–30 |editor-last=Gardner |editor-first=Leigh A. |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781009181082.002 |isbn=978-1-009-18110-5|doi-access=free }}</ref> Estimates by scholars of pre-World War II demographics in Liberia differ wildly.<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
! rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |Total population
! colspan="3" |Population Age (%)
|-
! width="80pt" |0–14
! width="80pt" |15–64
! width="80pt" |65+
|-
| 1950
| 911 000||41.0||55.9||3.0
|-
| 1955
| 997 000||41.1||56.1||2.8
|-
| 1960
|1 116 000||41.4||55.9||2.7
|-
| 1965
|1 262 000||43.0||54.3||2.6
|-
| 1970
|1 440 000||44.1||53.3||2.6
|-
| 1975
|1 658 000||44.8||52.6||2.6
|-
| 1980
|1 923 000||45.5||51.9||2.6
|-
| 1985
|2 212 000||45.9||51.5||2.6
|-
| 1990
|2 127 000||45.6||52.8||2.6
|-
| 1995
|2 095 000||44.5||52.8||2.6
|-
| 2000
|2 847 000||43.6||53.8||2.6
|-
| 2005
|3 183 000||43.3||54.0||2.7
|-
| 2010
|3 994 000||43.5||53.7||2.8
|}

Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 21.III.2008):<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dyb_2017/|title=UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics}}</ref>
[[Image:Liberia-demography.png|thumb|330x330px|Liberia's population from 1961-2013.<ref name="Data of FAO, year 2005">Data of [[FAO]], year 2005</ref> Liberia's population tripled in 40 years.<ref name="Data of FAO, year 2005" />]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt" |Age Group
! width="80pt" |Male
! width="80pt" |Female
! width="80pt" |Total
! width="80pt" |%
|-
| align="right" | Total
| align="right" | 1 739 945
| align="right" | 1 736 663
| align="right" | 3 476 608
| align="right" | 100
|-
!0–14
!736 834
!721 238
!1 458 072
!41.94
|-
| align="right" | 0–4
| align="right" | 270 564
| align="right" | 263 911
| align="right" | 534 475
| align="right" | 15.37
|-
| align="right" | 5–9
| align="right" | 251 411
| align="right" | 250 520
| align="right" | 501 931
| align="right" | 14.44
|-
| align="right" | 10–14
| align="right" | 214 859
| align="right" | 206 807
| align="right" | 421 666
| align="right" | 12.13
|-
!15–64
!945 641
!954 784
!1 900 425
!54.66
|-
| align="right" | 15–19
| align="right" | 189 407
| align="right" | 186 288
| align="right" | 375 695
| align="right" | 10.81
|-
| align="right" | 20–24
| align="right" | 161 951
| align="right" | 180 979
| align="right" | 342 930
| align="right" | 9.86
|-
| align="right" | 25–29
| align="right" | 141 006
| align="right" | 150 852
| align="right" | 291 858
| align="right" | 8.39
|-
| align="right" | 30–34
| align="right" | 107 326
| align="right" | 112 306
| align="right" | 219 632
| align="right" | 6.32
|-
| align="right" | 35–39
| align="right" | 99 136
| align="right" | 104 400
| align="right" | 203 536
| align="right" | 5.85
|-
| align="right" | 40–44
| align="right" | 81 670
| align="right" | 74 067
| align="right" | 155 737
| align="right" | 4.48
|-
| align="right" | 45–49
| align="right" | 63 827
| align="right" | 54 980
| align="right" | 118 807
| align="right" | 3.42
|-
| align="right" | 50–54
| align="right" | 44 870
| align="right" | 38 070
| align="right" | 82 940
| align="right" | 2.39
|-
| align="right" | 55–59
| align="right" | 30 975
| align="right" | 25 485
| align="right" | 56 460
| align="right" | 1.62
|-
| align="right" | 60–64
| align="right" | 25 473
| align="right" | 27 357
| align="right" | 52 830
| align="right" | 1.52
|-
!65-85+
!57 470
!60 641
!118 111
!3.40
|-
| align="right" | 65-69
| align="right" | 19 250
| align="right" | 20 557
| align="right" | 39 807
| align="right" | 1.14
|-
| align="right" | 70-74
| align="right" | 12 343
| align="right" | 13 403
| align="right" | 25 746
| align="right" | 0.74
|-
| align="right" | 75-79
| align="right" | 11 580
| align="right" | 11 333
| align="right" | 22 913
| align="right" | 0.66
|-
| align="right" | 80-84
| align="right" | 5 408
| align="right" | 6 599
| align="right" | 12 007
| align="right" | 0.35
|-
| align="right" | 85+
| align="right" | 8 889
| align="right" | 8 749
| align="right" | 17 638
| align="right" | 0.51
|-
|}

==Vital statistics==
[[File:Liberia Population 1950-2021 Forecast 2022-2032 UN World Population Prospects 2022.svg|thumb|300x300px|[[Population]], [[fertility rate]] and [[net reproduction rate]], United Nations estimates]]
Registration of vital events is in Liberia not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.
<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Population Prospects - Population Division - United Nations |url=https://population.un.org/wpp/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=population.un.org}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"

|-
! width="25pt"|Year
! width="70pt"|Mid-year population*
! width="70pt"|Live births per year*
! width="70pt"|Deaths per year*
! width="70pt"|Natural change per year*
! width="70pt"|CBR**
! width="70pt"|CDR**
! width="70pt"|NC**
! width="70pt"|TFR**
! width="70pt"|IMR**
! width="70pt"|Life expectancy (years)
|-
|1950
|   916 
|   40 
|   22 
|   18 
|43.1
|24.0
|19.1
|6.00
|199.3
|38.5
|-
|1951
|  933 
|  41 
|  23 
|  18 
|43.7
|24.2
|19.6
|6.04
|198.8
|38.6
|-
|1952
|  952 
|  42 
|  23 
|  19 
|44.3
|24.2
|20.2
|6.09
|198.0
|38.7
|-
|1953
|  971 
|  44 
|  24 
|  20 
|44.9
|24.2
|20.6
|6.12
|197.3
|38.8
|-
|1954
|  992 
|  45 
|  24 
|  21 
|45.4
|24.3
|21.1
|6.16
|196.6
|39.0
|-
|1955
|  1 014 
|  46 
|  25 
|  22 
|45.8
|24.5
|21.3
|6.19
|197.2
|38.8
|-
|1956
|  1 037 
|  48 
|  26 
|  22 
|46.4
|24.7
|21.6
|6.24
|198.0
|38.8
|-
|1957
|  1 061 
|  50 
|  26 
|  23 
|46.8
|24.9
|21.9
|6.28
|198.7
|38.7
|-
|1958
|  1 085 
|  51 
|  27 
|  24 
|47.2
|25.2
|22.1
|6.31
|199.4
|38.5
|-
|1959
|  1 110 
|  53 
|  28 
|  25 
|47.7
|25.4
|22.3
|6.35
|200.1
|38.4
|-
|1960
|  1 137 
|  55 
|  29 
|  26 
|48.0
|25.6
|22.5
|6.39
|200.6
|38.3
|-
|1961
|  1 165 
|  56 
|  30 
|  26 
|48.4
|25.7
|22.7
|6.45
|200.7
|38.3
|-
|1962
|  1 194 
|  58 
|  31 
|  27 
|48.7
|25.7
|23.0
|6.50
|200.5
|38.4
|-
|1963
|  1 224 
|  60 
|  31 
|  28 
|48.9
|25.7
|23.2
|6.56
|200.0
|38.5
|-
|1964
|  1 255 
|  61 
|  32 
|  29 
|49.0
|style="color:red"|25.7
|23.4
|6.59
|199.0
|38.6
|-
|1965
|  1 287 
|  63 
|  33 
|  30 
|49.1
|25.5
|23.6
|6.62
|197.5
|38.8
|-
|1966
|  1 320 
|  65 
|  33 
|  31 
|49.0
|25.3
|23.7
|6.63
|195.8
|39.1
|-
|1967
|  1 354 
|  66 
|  34 
|  33 
|49.0
|25.0
|24.0
|6.65
|193.7
|39.4
|-
|1968
|  1 389 
|  68 
|  34 
|  34 
|49.0
|24.7
|24.2
|6.66
|191.3
|39.8
|-
|1969
|  1 426 
|  70 
|  35 
|  35 
|style="color:blue"|49.1
|24.4
|24.7
|6.64
|188.5
|40.2
|-
|1970 
|  1 464 
|  71 
|  35 
|  36 
|48.5
|24.0
|24.5
|6.58
|185.6
|40.6
|-
|1971
|  1 502 
|  72 
|  35 
|  37 
|48.0
|23.6
|24.5
|6.54
|183.1
|40.9
|-
|1972
|  1 541 
|  74 
|  36 
|  39 
|48.2
|23.1
|25.1
|6.60
|180.3
|41.5
|-
|1973
|  1 583 
|  77 
|  36 
|  40 
|48.4
|22.8
|25.6
|6.65
|177.7
|41.9
|-
|1974
|  1 626 
|  79 
|  36 
|  42 
|48.5
|22.4
|26.0
|6.69
|175.1
|42.4
|-
|1975
|  1 672 
|  81 
|  37 
|  44 
|48.6
|22.1
|26.5
|6.74
|172.4
|42.8
|-
|1976
|  1 718 
|  84 
|  37 
|  46 
|48.7
|21.8
|26.9
|6.79
|169.9
|43.2
|-
|1977
|  1 768 
|  86 
|  38 
|  48 
|48.7
|21.4
|27.3
|6.84
|167.6
|43.6
|-
|1978
|  1 821 
|  88 
|  38 
|  50 
|48.6
|21.0
|27.6
|6.88
|165.4
|44.0
|-
|1979
|  1 876 
|  91 
|  39 
|  52 
|48.5
|20.7
|27.8
|style="color:blue"|6.92
|163.4
|44.3
|-
|1980
|  1 932 
|  93 
|  39 
|  54 
|48.0
|20.3
|27.7
|6.87
|161.6
|44.6
|-
|1981
|  1 990 
|  94 
|  40 
|  55 
|47.5
|19.9
|27.5
|6.83
|159.9
|45.0
|-
|1982
|  2 048 
|  96 
|  40 
|  56 
|46.9
|19.6
|27.3
|6.79
|158.6
|45.2
|-
|1983
|  2 109 
|  98 
|  41 
|  57 
|46.5
|19.4
|27.0
|6.76
|157.8
|45.4
|-
|1984
|  2 174 
|  100 
|  42 
|  58 
|45.9
|19.3
|26.6
|6.73
|157.8
|45.4
|-
|1985
|  2 240 
|  102 
|  44 
|  58 
|45.7
|19.7
|26.1
|6.69
|159.9
|44.7
|-
|1986
|  2 306 
|  105 
|  45 
|  60 
|45.5
|19.4
|26.0
|6.64
|161.0
|45.0
|-
|1987
|  2 372 
|  107 
|  47 
|  60 
|45.0 
|19.7
|25.3
|6.57
|164.0
|44.5
|-
|1988
|  2 440 
|  109 
|  49 
|  60 
|44.7
|20.1
|24.6
|6.51
|167.4
|44.0
|-
|1989
|  2 508 
|  111 
|  51 
|  60 
|44.5
|20.5
|24.0
|6.43
|170.6
|43.5
|-
|1990
|  2 210 
|  114 
|style="color:red"| 65 
|  49 
|44.4
|25.5
|style="color:red"|18.9
|6.37
|173.2
|36.7
|-
|1991
|  1 939 
|  85 
|  40 
|  45 
|44.6
|21.0
|23.6
|6.32
|175.0
|42.8
|-
|1992
|  2 053 
|  90 
|  43 
|  48 
|44.5
|21.0
|23.5
|6.28
|173.9
|42.7
|-
|1993
|  2 133 
|  95 
|  46 
|  49 
|44.6
|21.5
|23.1
|6.25
|174.8
|42.2
|-
|1994
|  2 125 
|  97 
|  48 
|  50 
|44.6
|21.8
|22.8
|6.21
|172.9
|41.8
|-
|1995
|  2 142 
|  94 
|  43 
|  52 
|44.7
|20.2
|24.4
|6.17
|166.1
|43.9
|-
|1996
|  2 204 
|  99 
|  44 
|  55 
|44.6
|19.9
|24.7
|6.13
|161.2
|44.4
|-
|1997
|  2 383 
|  100 
|  39 
|  60 
|44.4
|17.6
|26.8
|6.08
|151.5
|47.8
|-
|1998
|  2 639 
|  115 
|  44 
|  71 
|44.3
|16.9
|27.4
|6.02
|144.6
|48.9
|-
|1999
|  2 790 
|  122 
|  45 
|  77 
|44.1
|16.1
|27.9
|5.95
|137.3
|50.0
|-
|2000
|  2 895 
|  126 
|  44 
|  82 
|43.6
|15.2
|28.4
|5.88
|129.8
|51.4
|-
|2001
|  2 982 
|  128 
|  43 
|  86 
|43.0
|14.3
|28.7
|5.77
|122.0
|52.8
|-
|2002
|  3 061 
|  130 
|  42 
|  88 
|42.3
|13.6
|28.7
|5.65
|114.2
|53.8
|-
|2003
|  3 085 
|  131 
|  43 
|  88 
|41.7
|13.9
|27.9
|5.55
|108.9
|53.0
|-
|2004
|  3 122 
|  129 
|  38 
|  92 
|41.5
|12.1
|29.3
|5.51
|99.5
|56.0
|-
|2005
|  3 266 
|  133 
|  37 
|  96 
|41.5
|11.6
|29.9
|5.52
|93.2
|56.9
|-
|2006
|  3 455 
|  141 
|  38 
|  103 
|41.3
|11.2
|style="color:blue"|30.2
|5.53
|87.8
|57.6
|-
|2007
|  3 633 
|  147 
|  39 
|  108 
|40.9
|10.8
|30.1
|5.46
|83.3
|58.3
|-
|2008
|  3 784 
|  151 
|  39 
|  111 
|39.9
|10.4
|29.5
|5.33
|79.6
|58.8
|-
|2009
|  3 905 
|  152 
|  39 
|  113 
|38.9 
|10.1
|28.8
|5.17
|76.5
|59.2
|-
|2010
|  4 020 
|  153 
|  40 
|  113 
|38.1
|9.9
|28.2
|5.06
|74.0
|59.4
|-
|2011
|  4 181 
|  155 
|  40 
|  114 
|37.4
|9.7
|27.7
|4.97
|72.0
|59.6
|-
|2012
|  4 332 
|  162 
|  42 
|style="color:blue"|  121 
|37.3
|9.6
|27.7
|4.88
|70.3
|59.9
|-
|2013
|  4 427 
|  160 
|  42 
|  118 
|36.1
|9.5
|26.7
|4.75
|68.8
|59.9
|-
|2014
|  4 519 
|  159 
|  44 
|  115 
|35.1
|9.8
|25.3
|4.62
|68.7
|59.1
|-
|2015
|  4 612 
|  158 
|  45 
|  113 
|34.2
|9.7
|24.5
|4.52
|67.7
|59.1
|-
|2016
|  4 706 
|  159 
|  43 
|  116 
|33.7
|9.1
|24.7
|4.46
|65.0
|60.4
|-
|2017
|  4 797 
|  159 
|  43 
|  116 
|33.2
|9.0
|24.2
|4.40
|63.7
|60.6
|-
|2018
|  4 889 
|  160 
|  43 
|  117 
|32.7
|8.8
|23.9
|4.34
|62.4
|60.9
|-
|2019
|  4 985 
|  161 
|  43 
|  118 
|32.2
|style="color:blue"|8.7
|23.5
|4.26
|61.1
|61.1
|-
|2020
|  5 094
|  164 
|  44
|  121 
|31.9
|8.5
|23.4
|4.17
|60.2
|61.3
|-
|2021
|  5 205 
|  166 
|  45 
|  121 
|31.5
|8.5
|23.0
|4.09
|58.8
|61.2
|-
|2022
|  5 314
|  168 
|  44 
|  124 
|31.2
|8.2
|23.0
|4.02
|57.3
|61.9
|-
|2023
|  5 433
|  170
|  44 
|  126 
|31.0
|8.1
|22.9
|3.95
|55.9
|62.2
|-
| colspan="11" align="left" | * In thousands
<nowiki>**</nowiki> <small> '''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)</small>
|}

===Demographic and Health Surveys===
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/PR39/PR39.pdf|title=Liberia Demographic and Health Survey 2013|website=Dhsprogram.com|access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR201/FR201.pdf|title=Demographic and Health Survey 2007|website=Dhsprogram.com|access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Year
! colspan="3" |CBR
! colspan="3" |TFR
|-
! style="width:50pt;" | Total
! style="width:50pt;" | Urban
! style="width:50pt;" | Rural
! style="width:50pt;" | Total
! style="width:50pt;" | Urban
! style="width:50pt;" | (Rural)
|-
| 2007
| style="text-align:right;" | 37.6
| style="text-align:right;" | 32.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 40.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.2 (4.6)
| style="text-align:right;" | 3.8 (3.3)
| style="text-align:right;" | 6.2 (5.6)
|-
| 2013
| style="text-align:right;" | 34.4
| style="text-align:right;" | 31.1
| style="text-align:right;" | 38.5
| style="text-align:right;" | 4.7 (4.0)
| style="text-align:right;" | 3.8 (3.3)
| style="text-align:right;" | 6.1 (5.1)
|-
|2019-20
| style="text-align:right;" |30.1
| style="text-align:right;" |27.5
| style="text-align:right;" |33.6
| style="text-align:right;" |4.2 (3.7)
| style="text-align:right;" |3.4 (3.1)
| style="text-align:right;" |5.5 (4.8)
|-
|}
{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=year
| yAxisTitle= million
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 0.92,0.93,0.95,0.97,0.99,1.01,1.04,1.06,1.09,1.11,1.14,1.17,1.19,1.22,1.25,1.29,1.32,1.35,1.39,1.43,1.46,1.5,1.54,1.58,1.63,1.67,1.72,1.77,1.82,1.88,1.93,1.99,
2.05,2.11,2.17,2.24,2.31,2.37,2.44,2.51,2.21,1.94,2.05,2.13,2.13,2.14,2.2,2.38,2.64,2.79,2.9,2.98,3.06,3.09,3.12,3.27,3.46,3.63,3.78,3.91,4.02,4.18,4.33,4.43,
4.52,4.61,4.71,4.8,4.89,4.99,5.09,5.19

| y1Title= population (million)

}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= ‰
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 19.1,19.6,20.2,20.6,21.1,21.3,21.6,21.9,22.1,22.3,22.5,22.7,23.0,23.2,23.4,23.6,23.7,24.0,24.2,24.7,24.5,24.5,25.1,25.6,26.0,26.5,26.9,27.3,27.6,27.8,27.7,27.5,
27.3,27.0,26.6,26.1,26.0,25.3,24.6,24.0,18.9,23.6,23.5,23.1,22.8,24.4,24.7,26.8,27.4,27.9,28.4,28.7,28.7,27.9,29.3,29.9,30.2,30.1,29.5,28.8,28.2,27.7,27.7,26.7,5.3,24.5,24.7,24.2,23.9,23.5,23.0,22.4

| y1Title=Natural change (per 1000)
}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= ‰
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 199.3,198.8,198.0,197.3,196.6,197.2,198.0,198.7,199.4,200.1,200.6,200.7,200.5,200.0,199.0,197.5,195.8,193.7,191.3,188.5,185.6,183.1,180.3,177.7,175.1,
172.4,169.9,167.6,165.4,163.4,161.6,159.9,158.6,157.8,157.8,159.9,161.0,164.0,167.4,170.6,173.2,175.0,173.9,174.8,172.9,166.1,161.2,151.5,144.6,137.3,129.8,
122.0,114.2,108.9,99.5,93.2,87.8,83.3,79.6,76.5,74.0,72.0,70.3,68.8,68.7,67.7,65.0,63.7,62.4,61.1,59.6,58.0

| y1Title=Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births)
}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= TFR
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

| y1= 6.00,6.04,6.09,6.12,6.16,6.19,6.24,6.28,6.31,6.35,6.39,6.45,6.50,6.56,6.59,6.62,6.63,6.65,6.66,6.64,6.58,6.54,6.60,6.65,6.69,6.74,6.79,6.84,6.88,6.92,
6.87,6.83,6.79,6.76,6.73,6.69,6.64,6.57,6.51,6.43,6.37,6.32,6.28,6.25,6.21,6.17,6.13,6.08,6.02,5.95,5.88,5.77,5.65,5.55,5.51,5.52,5.53,5.46,5.33,5.17,5.06,
4.97,4.88,4.75,4.62,4.52,4.46,4.40,4.34,4.26,4.17,4.09

| y1Title=Total Fertility Rate
}}

Fertility data as of 2013 (DHS Program):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR291/FR291.pdf|title=Demographic and Health Survey 2013|website=Dhsprogram.com|access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:100pt;"| Region
! style="width:100pt;"| Total fertility rate
! style="width:100pt;"| Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant
! style="width:100pt;"| Mean number of children ever born to women 
age 40-49
|-
| North Western || 5.8 || 10.3 || 7.1
|-
| South Central || 3.8 || 6.7 || 5.8
|-
| South Eastern A || 6.5 || 9.6 || 6.7
|-
| South Eastern B || 5.9 || 9.2 || 7.1
|-
| North Central || 5.6 || 10.2 || 6.2
|}

== Ethnic groups==

{{bar box
|title=Ethnic groups in Liberia (2008)<ref name="CIATONGA">{{cite web|url= https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/liberia/|title= Africa :: LIBERIA
|date= 19 April 2022
|publisher= CIA The World Factbook}}</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Ethnic groups
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Kpelle people|Kpelle]]|Black|20.3}}
{{bar percent|Other|cyan|20.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Bassa people (Liberia)|Bassa]]|gold|13.4}}
{{bar percent| [[Grebo people|Grebo]]|blue|10}}
{{bar percent|[[Gio people|Gio]]|silver|8}}
{{bar percent|[[Mano people|Mano]]|pink|7.9}}
{{bar percent|[[Kru people|Kru]]|yellow|6}}
{{bar percent|[[Loma people|Lorma]]|red|5.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Gola people|Gola]]|silver|5.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Kissi people|Kissi]]|green|4.8}}
}}

There are officially 17<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lisgis.net/pg_img/Population%20size%20210512.pdf|title=2008 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS|website=Lisgis.net|access-date=26 October 2017|archive-date=18 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118080906/http://lisgis.net/pg_img/Population%20size%20210512.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> ethnic groups that make up [[Liberia]]'s indigenous [[Africa]]n population, making up maybe 95% of the total: [[Kpelle people|Kpelle]], the largest group; [[Bassa people (Liberia)|Bassa]], [[Gio Tribe|Gio]], [[Kru people|Kru]], [[Grebo (ethnic group)|Grebo]], [[Mandinka people|Mandingo]], [[Mano people|Mano]], [[Krahn]], [[Gola (ethnic group)|Gola]], [[Gbandi]], [[Lorma people|Loma]], [[Kissi people|Kissi]], [[Vai (ethnic group)|Vai]], [[Sapo language|Sapo]], [[Kuwaa language|Belleh (Kuwaa)]], [[Mandé peoples|Mende]] and [[Dewoin language|Dey]].

There are also more or less nomadic groups like the [[Fula people|Fula]], who engage mostly in trade, and the [[Fanti people|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-Liberian]]s, 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 [[Lebanon|Lebanese]], [[India]]ns, 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, Liberia|Monrovia]] and its immediate surroundings.

The [[Constitution of Liberia|Liberian Constitution]] restricts citizenship of Liberia only to people who are either 'Negroes or of Negro descent' wherein the Liberian Constitution / Chapter 4 / Article 27b states: "In order to preserve, foster and maintain the positive Liberian culture, values and character, only persons who are Negroes or of Negro descent shall qualify by birth or by naturalization to be citizens of Liberia."<ref>http://judiciary.gov.lr/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CONSTITUTION-OF-THE-REPUBLIC-OF-LIBERIA.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

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

* The isolate [[Gola language]] and the
* [[Mel languages]] (particularly [[Kissi people|Kissi]]) in the east and
* [[Kru languages]] (particularly [[Bassa people (Liberia)|Bassa]]) in the southeast

to which must be added the immigrant communities;

* Mande-Fu ([[Kpelle people|Kpelle]], Gio, Mano, [[Loma people|Loma]])
* Mande-Tan ([[Vai people|Vai]], [[Mende people|Mende]], [[Mandinka people|Mandingo]])
* Repatriated (Americo-Liberians, Congo, Caribbean)

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 [[Vai syllabary|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 people|Kru]] (Tajuasohn), Bassa, Belleh, Krahn, Grebo.

===19th century immigrants===
*[[Americo-Liberians]]: Free black people and emancipated [[slavery|slave]]s, and their descendants, from the [[United States|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.<ref>Clegg 2004</ref><ref>Ciment 2013</ref><ref>Sundiata 2003</ref>

===Immigrants from Lebanon===
In the late 19th century to early 20th century [[Lebanon|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.

==Religion==
{{Main|Religion in Liberia}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Liberia (2008)<ref name="CIATONGA"/>
|label1 = [[Christianity]]
|value1 = 85.6
|color1 = white
|label2 = [[Islam]]
|value2 = 12.2
|color2 = yellow
|label3 = None
|value3 = 1.4
|color3 = blue
|label4 = [[Traditional African religion|Traditional]]
|value4 = 0.6
|color4 = red
|label5 = Others  
|value5 = 0.2
|color5 = Black
}}
 
According to the 2008 National Census, 85.5% of [[Liberia]]'s  population practices [[Christianity]].<ref name="state.gov">{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148698.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123105613/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148698.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 23, 2010 |title=International Religious Freedom Report 2010: Liberia |work=United States Department of State |date=November 17, 2010 |access-date=July 22, 2011}}</ref> [[Muslim]]s comprise 12.2% of the population, largely coming from the [[Mandinka people|Mandingo]] and [[Vai people|Vai]] ethnic groups.<ref name="state.gov"/> The vast majority of Muslims are [[Maliki]]te [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]], with sizeable [[Shia]] and [[Ahmadiyya]] minorities.<ref name="pew">{{cite web | url=http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-full-report.pdf | title=The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity | access-date=March 31, 2014 | date=August 9, 2012 | publisher=Pew Forum on Religious & Public life | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024125551/http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Muslim/the-worlds-muslims-full-report.pdf | archive-date=October 24, 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref> [[African traditional religion|Traditional indigenous religions]] are practiced by 0.5% of the population, while 1.8% subscribe to no religion.<ref name="state.gov"/>

==Languages==
{{Main|Languages of Liberia}}
[[English language|English]] 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence.

==See also==
*[[Liberia]]
*[[List of countries by population growth rate]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==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}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Demographics of Liberia}}
* [http://www.liberiawebs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=273%3Aliberia-nation-a-people-without-identity&catid=85%3Aeditor-comments&Itemid=275 Liberia: Nation & People without identity]{{Moved resource|date=February 2023}}
* [http://www.theperspective.org/uglypavala.html The Indigenous & Americo Liberians' Palva]
* [http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/04/13/liberia-americas-stepchild-searches-for-own-identity/4954/ Liberia, "America's step child" searches for own identity]
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18767319 Words Matter: Terms of Global Conflicts debated, NPR]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090628200702/http://web.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v1/1/4.htm Contemporary Africa & Legacy of late colonialism]
* [http://www.africasia.com/services/opinions/opinions.php?ID=1701&title=ray How the word ‘tribe’ stereotypes Africa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525055336/http://www.africasia.com/services/opinions/opinions.php?ID=1701&title=ray |date=2012-05-25 }}

{{Ethnic groups in Liberia}}
{{Liberia topics}}
{{Africa in topic|Demographics of}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demographics Of Liberia}}
[[Category:Demographics of Liberia| ]]