Liberia is located in Western Africa and has a population of 5.3 million. Although efforts are being made to improve the country, Liberia still suffers from high rates of poverty. Here are 10 facts about poverty in Liberia.

10 Facts About Poverty in Liberia

1. Food Supply: According to the World Bank, 68.9% of Liberia’s population lives below the national poverty line. In 2019, approximately 63% of the population lived on less than $2 daily. The number has been predicted to increase to more than 77% in 2029. To combat food insecurity in Liberia, the World Food Programme (WFP), which has been present in Liberia since 1968 and Liberia’s government worked together on a plan to fight poverty by providing 87,139 students with meals and 3,600 girls from poor households with take-home rations. In addition, the WFP worked with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to assess the status, livelihood, social protection and food security of those living with HIV and tuberculosis.
2. Education: The education system in Liberia is a work in progress due to a 14-year civil war and the Ebola outbreak in 2014, which caused schools to close down. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Liberia is behind in its education system among most African countries. It has one of the world’s highest rates of out-of-school children, with more than 15% of its 6- to 14-year-olds not in school. In addition, only a third of preschoolers have access to early education learning programs and 69% of children finish primary school.
   
   However, despite the statistics, in 2015, about 1.4 million children enrolled in pre-primary, primary and high school. According to Liberia’s Ministry of Education, in 2015, 116% of students enrolled in early childhood education, 88% in primary school, 56% in junior high and 39% in senior high. The Ministry of Education, UNICEF and other organizations worked together to help repair or rebuild classrooms, train teachers, review curricula and create education policies and plans.
3. Diseases: After the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which caused more than 4,800 deaths in Liberia, recovery efforts have been improving. Collaborating closely with the Liberian government, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and UNICEF have taken significant steps. They have supplied 7,000 infection prevention and control kits to schools and teachers and comprehensive training to equip educators with infection prevention techniques. Additionally, these initiatives aim to empower teachers to offer essential psychosocial support to students and families impacted by the Ebola crisis. With the help of the organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Liberia Ebola virus-free in 2016.
4. Malnutrition: Liberia has one of the highest levels of stunting globally, ranking 37 out of 152 nations in December 2019. Although the country has made significant efforts toward reducing stunting, nearly 30% of its children aged less than 5 are affected. In response, UNICEF worked with Liberia’s government to “review and update relevant nutrition policies, guidelines and strategies” and increase the reach of nutrition services.
5. Water: In Liberia, about three in 10 people lack access to clean water and more than 500 children aged less than 5 die from diarrhea yearly. Access to clean water has the ability to decrease disease, infection and death. In response to Liberia’s water crisis, Charity Water, a nonprofit dedicated to renovating old water projects in Liberia, has funded more than 200 projects, providing access to a clean water source for more than 130,000 people.
6. Sanitation: According to the latest finding from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, more than 62% of people living in rural areas in Liberia use rivers or the bush to defecate. Lack of proper sanitation services results in the spread of diseases and causes students to miss school days. Additionally, open defecation can lead to environmental pollution.
   
   In 2023, Population Services International (PSI), in partnership with USAID and other organizations, launched the Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA) in Liberia. This initiative aims to eradicate open defecation by providing basic sanitation access to 1.4 million individuals in rural areas. Moreover, it seeks to bolster local economies by supporting 300 businesses in five targeted counties, Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa and rural Montserrado, by selling 103,892 toilets to households in these regions.
7. Youth Unemployment Rates: Although Liberia has a youthful population, with 48% aged below 18, 47% between 18 and 60 and only 5% aged 60 and above, about 2.1% of its population aged 15 to 24 remains unemployed.
8. Immunization: According to the 2017 WHO-UNICEF Estimates of Immunization Coverage, 13% of children in Liberia have not received the measles vaccine. In response, the Liberian government and UNICEF collaborated on a project to raise awareness of the importance of immunization for children to help prevent diseases.
9. Literacy Rates: According to the World Bank, Liberia’s youth (aged 15 to 24) literacy rate is 77%, with males at 86% and females at 72%. Addressing this challenge, Alfalit International, a nonprofit organization, aims to empower marginalized groups in Liberia by providing education and economic opportunities. Through partnerships with the Ministry of Education and other entities, the organization impacted more than 10,000 lives.
10. vChild Labor: In Liberia, children work in dangerous environments such as rubber production and gold and diamond mining. To tackle this, the United States (U.S.) Department of Labor and other organizations launched the Actions to Reduce Child Labor (ARCH) initiative. The program, which ran for four years, enrolled more than 9,000 Liberian children in education programs.

Final Remark

Despite the challenges Liberia faces due to poverty, various organizations are making efforts to improve the country. However, more is necessary to tackle the issues that will require the intervention of political leaders. Surely, poverty will decrease with an emphasis on education and policies to implement more opportunities for Liberians.

– Merna Ibrahim
Photo: Flickr
Updated: May 27, 2024