Liberia — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Liberia, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Liberia was 2.09% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 10.13% in 1998. The lowest was -12.80% in 1991 (about -6.1× the latest value). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.25% per year.
Liberia ranks 44 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 20%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 2.30%, so Liberia sits below it. It peaked in 1998 and has fallen 79% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 1%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 31 of 48 economies; Nigeria (2.06%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 535% in 1990.
Data highlights
From its 1961 level: doubled by 1992.
World ranking. Climbed: 95th of 216 in 1961 → 79th of 216 in 1970 → 51st of 216 in 1980 → 215th of 216 in 1990 → 9th of 217 in 2000 → 29th of 217 in 2010 → 49th of 217 in 2020 → 44th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.09% | -0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 2.16% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 2.2% | +0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 2.14% | +0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 2.11% | +0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 2.07% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 1.98% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 1.96% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 1.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 2.04% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 2.06% | -0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 2.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -1.3 pp |
| 2012 | 3.53% | -0.4 pp |
| 2011 | 3.92% | +1.0 pp |
| 2010 | 2.9% | -0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 3.14% | -0.9 pp |
| 2008 | 4.06% | -0.9 pp |
| 2007 | 4.98% | -0.6 pp |
| 2006 | 5.59% | +1.1 pp |
| 2005 | 4.46% | +3.3 pp |
| 2004 | 1.19% | +0.4 pp |
| 2003 | 0.8% | -1.8 pp |
| 2002 | 2.6% | -0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 2.94% | -0.8 pp |
| 2000 | 3.7% | -1.8 pp |
| 1999 | 5.52% | -4.6 pp |
| 1998 | 10.13% | +2.3 pp |
| 1997 | 7.78% | +4.9 pp |
| 1996 | 2.87% | +2.0 pp |
| 1995 | 0.89% | +1.1 pp |
| 1994 | -0.24% | -4.2 pp |
| 1993 | 3.91% | -1.8 pp |
| 1992 | 5.76% | +18.6 pp |
| 1991 | -12.8% | -0.4 pp |
| 1990 | -12.43% | -15.3 pp |
| 1989 | 2.86% | -0.0 pp |
| 1988 | 2.89% | -0.0 pp |
| 1987 | 2.93% | -0.1 pp |
| 1986 | 2.99% | -0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 3.05% | -0.0 pp |
| 1984 | 3.09% | +0.1 pp |
| 1983 | 2.99% | +0.1 pp |
| 1982 | 2.89% | -0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 2.94% | -0.0 pp |
| 1980 | 2.97% | +0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 2.95% | +0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 2.91% | +0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 2.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 1976 | 2.72% | +0.0 pp |
| 1975 | 2.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1974 | 2.67% | +0.0 pp |
| 1973 | 2.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1972 | 2.53% | +0.0 pp |
| 1971 | 2.52% | -0.0 pp |
| 1970 | 2.56% | +0.0 pp |
| 1969 | 2.56% | +0.0 pp |
| 1968 | 2.55% | +0.0 pp |
| 1967 | 2.54% | -0.0 pp |
| 1966 | 2.54% | -0.0 pp |
| 1965 | 2.54% | +0.0 pp |
| 1964 | 2.52% | +0.0 pp |
| 1963 | 2.51% | +0.0 pp |
| 1962 | 2.48% | +0.0 pp |
| 1961 | 2.44% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Liberia’s Population growth in 1962?
2.48% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Liberia’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -14.6% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 2.09%; 2024: 2.16%; 2023: 2.2%; 2022: 2.14%; 2021: 2.11%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.