STATISTICS: LIBERIA

Liberia Official name: Republic of Liberia. Form of government: multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Senate ; House of Representatives ). Head of state and government: President. Capital: Monrovia. Official language: English. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents; valuation Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = L$1.00{1}; 1 = L$1.70. Demography Population (1998): 2,772,000{2}. Density (1997): persons per sq mi 73.4{2}, persons per sq km 28.4{2}. Urban-rural (1995): urban 44.9%; rural 55.1%. Sex distribution (1995): male 50.69%; female 49.31%. Age breakdown (1995): under 15, 44.5%; 15-29, 25.6%; 30-44, 15.6%; 45-59, 9.0%; 60-74, 3.9%; 75 and over, 1.4%. Population projection: (2000) 3,090,000; (2010) 4,342,000. Doubling time: 23 years. Ethnic composition (1984): Kpelle 19.4%: Bassa 13.9%; Grebo 9.0%; Gio 7.8%; Kru 7.3%; Mano 7.1%; other 35.5%. Religious affiliation (1995): traditional beliefs 63.0%{3}; Christian 21.0%, of which Protestant 13.5%, African Christian 5.1%, Roman Catholic 2.4%; Muslim 16.0%{3}. Major cities (1985): Monrovia 668,000{4}; Harbel 60,000; Gbarnga 30,000{5}; Buchanan 25,000; Yekepa 16,000. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996): 42.8 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1996): 11.9 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): 30.9 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1996): 6.2. Marriage rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Divorce rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 56.0 years; female 61.2 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1985){6}: complications during pregnancy 632.6{7}; malaria 79.8; pneumonia 64.2; anemia 50.2; malnutrition 23.4; measles 12.7. Violence and acts of war were major causes of both morbidity and mortality from 1990 onward. National economy Budget (1993). Revenue: L$249,825,000 (1989; income and profits taxes 33.9%; import duties and consular fees 29.6%; excise tax 12.7%; property taxes 1.9%). Expenditures: L$273,930,000 (1988; current expenditure 91.1%, of which wages and salaries 34.1%, interest on public debt 13.1%, goods and services 7.8%, subsidies and grants 5.1%; development expenditure 8.9%). Tourism: receipts from visitors (1986) U.S.$6,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad, n.a. Population economically active (1994): total 993,000; activity rate 43.5% (participation rates: ages 10-64, 64.0%; female 28.5%; unemployed 95%). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): sugarcane 235,000, cassava 213,000, oil palm fruit 155,000, rice 94,000, bananas 85,000, plantains 35,000, natural rubber 25,000, yams 20,000, coffee 3,000, cacao beans 500; livestock (number of live animals) 220,000 goats, 210,000 sheep, 120,000 pigs, 36,000 cattle, 3,500,000 chickens; roundwood (1995) 5,436,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 7,782. Mining and quarrying: iron ore {8}; diamonds 150,000 carats{9}; gold 16,000 troy oz{10}. Manufacturing (1996): palm oil 45,000; cement 8,300{9}; cigarettes 22,000,000 units{11}; soft drinks 171,000 hectolitres{12}; beer 158,000 hectolitres{12}. Construction: n.a. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 485,000,000 (485,000,000); coal, none (none); crude petroleum, none (none); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) none (101,000); natural gas, none (none). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$1,111,000,000. Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1983) 4.3; income per household: n.a.; sources of income: n.a.; expenditure: n.a. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$1,174,000,000 (U.S.$490 per capita). Land use (1994): forested 47.8%; meadows and pastures 20.8%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 3.8%; other 27.6%. Foreign trade{13} Imports (1996): U.S.$3,854,000,000 (1990; machinery and transport equipment 26.9%, petroleum and petroleum products 23.5%, food and live animals 21.1%, basic manufactures 13.9%, chemicals 5.8%). Major import sources (1996): South Korea 25%; Japan 24%; France 9%; Singapore 9%; Croatia 8%. Exports (1996): U.S.$1,136,000,000 (1988; iron ore 55.1%, rubber 28.0%, logs and timber 8.4%, diamonds 2.1%, gold 1.8%, coffee 1.5%). Major export destinations (1996): Belgium-Luxembourg 48%; Singapore 12%; Ukraine 11%; Norway 6%; Malaysia 5%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1993){8}{14}: route length 306 mi, 493 km; short ton-mi cargo 137,000,000, metric ton-km cargo 200,000,000. Roads (1995): total length 6,400 mi, 10,300 km (paved 6%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 10,300; trucks and buses 28,300. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 1,672; total deadweight tonnage 97,373,965. Air transport (1992): passenger-mi 4,300,000, passenger-km 7,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 68,000, metric ton-km cargo 100,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment, n.a. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 705,000 (38.3%); males literate 523,000 (53.9%); females literate 182,000 (22.4%). Health: physicians (1992) 257 (1 per 8,333 persons); hospital beds, n.a.; infant mortality rate (1996) 108.1. Food (1992): daily per capita caloric intake 1,640 (vegetable products 96%, animal products 4%); 71% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel: All militias were formally disarmed by February 1997. The 10,000-member West African (ECOMOG) peacekeeping force was expected to depart Liberia in February 1998. Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 2.2% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$21. {1} Officially at par with the U.S.$; the unofficial free/black market exchange rate (a truer value of the L$) was roughly L$40 = U.S.$1 in August 1998. {2} Excludes about 325,000 Liberian refugees in surrounding countries. {3} Rough estimate. {4} 1990 estimate; the 1996 population is estimated to be 850,000 (including many persons displaced because of war). {5} 1986. {6} Hospital inpatient morbidity rates. {7} 1984. {8} Mining ceased in late 1992. {9} 1993. {10} 1995 gold production taxed for export (including gold imported from Sierra Leone and Guinea). {11} 1992. {12} 1988. {13} All balance of trade and trading partner data are based on estimates. {14} For iron-ore transport only.