Monrovia, Liberia – In partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Liberian government, through the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), has released the State of the World Population 2025 Report.
The launch, which took place in Monrovia on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, brought together parliamentarians, government representatives, and international and local partners under the topic “The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World.”
The fertility rate in Liberia has decreased, according to Richard F. Ngafuan, Director General of LISGIS. He said, although the fertility rate was 5.8 in 2008, more recent estimates highlight the expansion of opportunities, changing values, and rising literacy.
He asserted that the 2008 fertility rate was 5.8, but the most current estimates reflect rising literacy, changing values, and more opportunities. According to the head of LISGIS, there are more than 1.4 million women in their reproductive years and over 5.2 million Liberians living in the country.
He explained, “The fact that more than 60% of our population is under 25 represents both a promise and a challenge: a provocation to prepare and a promise of potential.”
“We are aware that life expectancy is increasing,” the health of mothers is getting better. We are aware that our cities are growing and that over two-thirds of Liberians will reside in urban areas by 2045,” Director Ngafuan stated.
According to Officer-In-Charge Leonard Kamugisha, the most disadvantaged individuals have benefited the least from major improvements in sexual and reproductive health and rights. He said, according to data released by UNFPA over the previous five years, approximately 25% of women worldwide are unable to make decisions regarding their own healthcare, 10% of women worldwide are unable to say no to sex, and 10% of women are unable to decide whether to use contraception.
He noted that reproductive agency includes a full range of conditions that allow individuals to exercise their reproductive rights and guarantee genuine choice, such as gender equality, economic stability, decent health, and future confidence, and goes beyond simply being free from coercion or having better access to services.
Also speaking, Madam Christine Unutoni, United Nations Resident Coordinator said that this year’s report, titled “The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in A Changing World”, comes at a critical time which reminds the world that population trends are not just about numbers, but people’s lives, opportunities, choices, and rights.
In the face of global financial crises, Liberia is currently concentrating on accomplishing the National Development Agenda, the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), and the Sustainable Development Goals, according to Madam Unutoni. However, thousands of Liberians still do not have access to basic reproductive health treatments, particularly women and girls. Vulnerabilities are still increased by poverty, gender inequality, and climate change, particularly for women and young people.
According to her, the study pushes everyone to reconsider population dynamics and calls on all nations to move away from fear-based debates about issues like overpopulation or falling fertility rates and toward human rights-based strategies that emphasize independence, option, and respect.
The fact that 75% of Liberia’s population is under 35 years old presents both opportunities and problems, according to Minister Jerror Cole Bangalu, Liberia’s Minister of Youth and Sports.
Minister Bangalu added that investing in youth is crucial if Liberia is to fully capitalize on its demographic benefit. He clarified that the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ mission is highly relevant to the 2025 State of the World Population Report for a number of reasons.
