Language
English is the official language, but only 15 percent of the population speak it. Most Liberians speak one or more of about 30 African languages.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population

2009	4.0 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009)
2007	3.6 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006	3.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2005	3.4 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2004	3.3 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2003	3.3 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2002	3.2 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2001	3.2 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2000	3.1 million	U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
8.8 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)

Ethnic groups
Most belong to the the Mende, Kwa and Vai ethnic groups. Descendants of "repatriated" U.S. and Caribbean slaves comprise 5 percent of the population.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Some 40 percent practise traditional African religions and another 40 percent are Christian. Muslims make up 20 percent of the population.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population

2007	59.5 percent	U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006	58.8 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2005	58.1 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2004	57.4 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2003	56.6 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2002	55.8 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2001	55.1 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2000	54.3 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1946
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2005)

Percentage of population under 15

2005	46.9 percent	U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2004	47.0 percent	UNDP 2006
2003	46.9 percent	UNDP 2005
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Time zone
GMT

Climate description
Hot, tropical climate with little variation in temperature. May to October is the rainy season. Dry Harmattan wind blows from December to March. From November to March, the weather is generally dry and sunny.

Currency
Liberian dollar

Telephone dialling code
(+) 231

Driving (left/right)
Right

Average life expectancy

2005	No data available years
2004	42.4 years	UNDP 2006
2003	42.4 years	UNDP 2005
2002	41.4 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	No data available years
2000	No data available years

Life expectancy - male

2005	43.8 years	U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2004	41.5 years	UNDP 2006
2003	No data available years

Life expectancy - female

2005	45.6 years	U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2004	43.4 years	UNDP 2006
2003	No data available years
2000	No data available years

Infant mortality

2007	93 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	157 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	157 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	157 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003	No data available per 1,000 live births
2002	No data available per 1,000 live births
2001	157 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	No data available per 1,000 live births

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five

2007	133 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	235 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	235 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	235 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003	235 per 1,000 live births	UNDP 2005
2002	235 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Births attended by skilled personnel

1997-2005	51 percent	U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
1996-2004	51 percent	UNDP 2006
1995-2003	51 percent	UNDP 2005
1995-2002	No data available percent
1995-2001	51 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000	No data available percent

Maternal mortality

2005	No data available per 100,000 live births
2000	760 per 100,000 live births	UNDP 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
No data available (2001)

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)

2000-2007	26 percent	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2000-2006	26 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005	26 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004	26 percent	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003	No data available percent
1995-2002	No data available percent
1995-2000	No data available percent

Percentage of undernourished population

2003-2005	40 percent	U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008
2002-2004average	50 percent	U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average	49 percent	FAO 2006

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water

2006	64 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004	61 percent	UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002	No data available percent

Population with access to improved sanitation

2006	32 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004	27 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002	No data available percent

Literacy - average

2004	39.2 percent	UNDP 2006
2003	55.9 percent	UNDP 2005
2002	55.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Literacy - male

2004	No data available percent
2003	72.3 percent	UNDP 2005
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Literacy - female

2004	No data available percent
2003	39.3 percent	UNDP 2005
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent

Landlines telephones

2008	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	1 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Cellular telephone subscribers

2008	193 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	155 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	81 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	48 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	29 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	15 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	0.7 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	0.7 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	0.5 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Internet users

2008	5 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	5 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	0.3 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	0.3 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	0.3 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	0.3 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	0.3 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	0.3 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	0.2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)

2008	138 (joint)	Transparency International 2008
2007	150 (joint)	Transparency International 2007
2006	Not ranked
2005	137 (joint)	Transparency International
2004	Not ranked
2003	Not ranked
2002	Not ranked
2001	Not ranked
2000	Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method

2007	140 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	120 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	120 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	110 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	100 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	140 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	130 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	130 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP

2007	0.7 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	0.6 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	0.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	0.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	0.4 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	0.6 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	0.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	0.6 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Annual GDP growth

2006	7.8  percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005	5.3  percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004	2.6  percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003	-31.3  percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002	3.7  percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001	2.9  percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000	25.7  percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation

2007	16.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	8.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	13.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	1.1 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	2.7 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	26.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	11.6 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	-1.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians

2000-2004	3 per 100,000 people	U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
1990-2004	3 per 100,000 people	UNDP 2006
1990-2003	No data available per 100,000 people
1990-2002	No data available per 100,000 people

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)

2007	1.7 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2006	1.6 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2005	1.5 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2004	1.5 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2003	1.5 percent	U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008

Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year in the whole country. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO

TB cases

2007	277 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2006	272 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2005	266 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2004	261 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2003	256 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2002	251 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2001	246 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2000	242 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009

Number of refugees originating here

2008	75213	UNHCR
2007	91537	UNHCR
2006	160548	Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005	231114	UNHCR
2004	335467	UNHCR
2003	353345	UNHCR
2002	275422	UNHCR
2001	244608	UNHCR
2000	266930	UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here

2008	10216	UNHCR
2007	10458	UNHCR
2006	16185	UNHCR
2005	10168	UNHCR
2004	15172	UNHCR
2003	33997	UNHCR
2002	64956	UNHCR
2001	54760	UNHCR
2000	69315	UNHCR

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate

2008	Undetermined	Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2008
2007	Undetermined	Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2008
2006	13000	IDMC 2006
2005	48000	IDMC 2006

Landmine casualties per year

2007	0	Landmine Monitor Report 2008
2006	3	Landmine Monitor Report 2008
2004	8	Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003	5	Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1999 )
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
7.7 percent (2005)
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007

Percentage of GDP spent on education
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on health

2004	3.6 percent	U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) 2007
2003-2004	2.7 percent	UNDP 2006
2002	1.4 percent	UNDP 2005
2001	No data available percent
2000	No data available percent