Liberia — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Liberia: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Liberia is in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone. It covers 111,369 sq km. Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast. Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers.
| Capital | Monrovia |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,563,541 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $9.308 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $1,700 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.8% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 10.1% (2023 est.) |
| Unemployment | 2.9% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 28.3% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $1.22 billion (2022 est.) |
| Imports | $1.961 billion (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 61.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 20.1 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 53.6% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 26 July 1847 |
| Languages | English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages, including Liberian English variants |
Liberia’s GDP is $9.308 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $4.75 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 4.8% (2024 est.). See where Liberia ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Steadiness was the quarter's defining trait: no rupture, no windfall, no surprise strong enough to move the score.
The trajectory remains set by fundamentals that change over years, not quarters — and this quarter changed little.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 28% of GDP — room to maneuver; unemployment near 2.9% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: a median age of 20 — a nation of children, its workforce still in the classroom; life expectancy of only 62 years
Iron ore, Timber, Diamonds, Gold, Hydropower.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 31.8% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 66.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 32.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 1.822 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 2.9 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.4 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 534 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Oil 66.7%, Hydro 33.3% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 33.3% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 435.9 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $1.22 billion (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $1.961 billion (2022 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $741.0 million (2022), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | mining (iron ore and gold), rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Joseph Boakai — President. President Joseph BOAKAI (since 22 January 2024)
Liberia maintains 23 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 21 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 23 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 21 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 579 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 19 (registration prefix A8) |
| Major seaports | Buchanan, Cape Palmas, Greenville, Monrovia |
| Railways | 429 km |
| Pipelines | 4 km oil (2013) |
Major airports
Roberts International Airport (ROB) — Monrovia; Spriggs Payne Airport (MLW) — Monrovia.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Liberia.
Historical timeline of Liberia
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Liberia — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Liberia's power score?
Liberia has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.