Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Liberia
Liberia: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 56.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Liberia, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Liberia stood at 56.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Liberia peaked at 58.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1950.
That places Liberia 152nd out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Liberia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.8% | — |
| 1951 | 13.3% | +3.9% |
| 1952 | 13.9% | +3.9% |
| 1953 | 14.4% | +3.9% |
| 1954 | 14.9% | +3.8% |
| 1955 | 15.5% | +3.8% |
| 1956 | 16.1% | +3.8% |
| 1957 | 16.7% | +3.7% |
| 1958 | 17.3% | +3.7% |
| 1959 | 17.9% | +3.6% |
| 1960 | 18.6% | +3.6% |
| 1961 | 19.2% | +3.5% |
| 1962 | 19.9% | +3.5% |
| 1963 | 20.6% | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 21.4% | +3.5% |
| 1965 | 22.1% | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 22.9% | +3.5% |
| 1967 | 23.7% | +3.4% |
| 1968 | 24.5% | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 25.3% | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 26.1% | +3.3% |
| 1971 | 26.9% | +3.2% |
| 1972 | 27.8% | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 28.6% | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 29.5% | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 30.5% | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 31.5% | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 32.6% | +3.4% |
| 1978 | 33.7% | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 34.8% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 35.8% | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 36.8% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 37.7% | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 38.5% | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 39.1% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 39.5% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 36.7% | -7.0% |
| 1987 | 40.7% | +10.9% |
| 1988 | 41.3% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 41.9% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 43.3% | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 58.0% | +33.8% |
| 1992 | 56.4% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 52.7% | -6.6% |
| 1994 | 48.3% | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 44.5% | -7.7% |
| 1996 | 43.0% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 43.0% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 43.2% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 43.4% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 43.8% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 44.2% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 44.6% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 45.0% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 45.4% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 45.9% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 46.2% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 46.6% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 47.1% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 47.6% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 48.1% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 48.7% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 49.2% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 49.7% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 50.2% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 50.7% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 51.3% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 51.8% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 52.3% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 52.9% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 53.4% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 53.9% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 54.5% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 55.0% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 55.5% | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 56.1% | +1.0% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 56.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 34.5%, 1.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 56.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Liberia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +33.8% | 43.3% | 58.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 15.3% | 12.8% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.8% | 18.6% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 30.2% | 26.1% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 38.8% | 35.8% | 41.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.6% | 43.0% | 58.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.6% | 43.8% | 47.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.5% | 48.1% | 52.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.7% | 53.4% | 56.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
More population data for Liberia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1439 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7859 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1439 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2874 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 8,891 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.07 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3986 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 131.49 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 852,118 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Liberia?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Liberia was 56.1% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 58.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1950.
- How does Liberia rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Liberia ranks 152nd out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Liberia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.