Short facts about people of Liberia

Population:

3,225,837 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years:  43.21% (male 698,178; female 695,599) 15-64 years:  53.34% (male 840,103; female 880,403) 65 years and over:  3.45% (male 56,073; female 55,481) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.92% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

46.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

16.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

-11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) note:  by the end of 1999, all Liberian refugees, who had fled the domestic strife, were assumed to have returned

Sex ratio:

at birth:  1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years:  1 male(s)/female 15-64 years:  0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over:  1.01 male(s)/female total population:  0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

132.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:  51.41 years male:  49.96 years female:  52.91 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

6.36 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

2.8% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

39,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

4,500 (1999 est.)

Nationality:

noun:  Liberian(s) adjective:  Liberian

Ethnic groups:

indigenous African tribes 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)

Religions:

indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages:

English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence

Literacy:

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write total population:  38.3% male:  53.9% female:  22.4% (1995 est.) note:  these figures are increasing because of the improving school system

Source: World Factbook