Doloquee
Liberia’s population has grown by almost two million, according to the provisional results of the 2022 National Census released by the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) yesterday.
The total population now stands at 5.2 million, which is a 50.4% increase compared to the 2008 census result of 3.5 million. Urban growth is up by 52%, while rural growth has decreased by 48%. The gain in population is due to natural change, where births outnumber deaths.
The data shows that 50.4% of the country’s population is male, while the female population accounts for 49.6%. The population growth remains heavily concentrated in four counties, Montserrado, Nimba, Bong, and Lofa County, which constitute nearly two-thirds of the total population.
Meanwhile, the less populated counties are Rivercess, Gbarpolu, Grand Kru, and River Gee. These counties are among the poorest in the country, lacking basic social services, fueled by decades of government neglect. The population growth rate stands at 3%, with an average household size of 4.4 persons.
The provisional results represent 97% of the projected population. The full census results are expected to be released in May, which could lead to changes in some of the country’s electoral districts.
The National Elections Commission needs boundary delimitation for candidate registrations for the various seats in the House of Representatives.
Lawrence George, Acting Executive Director of LISGIS, noted that while the census result is provisional, it represents an accurate picture of the current population.
The increase in Liberia’s population is consistent with the World Bank’s forecast of 5.3 million people in 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 2.56%.
