MONROVIA – The Plenary of the House of Representatives has passed a resolution directing the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) to provide a detailed breakdown of the country’s population by electoral districts. This decision follows the submission of the final report of the 2022 Census by LISGIS, which revealed that Liberia’s population has increased by nearly two million people. Notably, Montserrado and Nimba counties accounted for almost half of the overall population.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
The requested district report aims to aid in the pending demarcation and assist in the implementation of targeted development initiatives and resource allocation at the district level. By having a segregated report, policymakers hope to facilitate more effective governance and address the specific needs of different districts.
According to LISGIS, Liberia’s current population stands at 5.2 million, representing a growth of 50.4 percent compared to the 2008 census result of 3.5 million. This translates to a population gain of over 1.7 million people over the span of 14 years. Urban areas experienced a growth rate of 52 percent, while rural areas saw a decline of 48 percent.
The majority of Liberia’s population resides in regular households, with less than 2 percent living in institutional households such as boarding schools and prisons. Additionally, approximately 0.4 percent of the population consists of floating or homeless individuals.
In terms of gender distribution, 50.4 percent of the population identifies as male, while 49.6 percent identifies as female. This results in a national sex ratio of 101.5 males for every 100 females. These figures align with the 2008 census results, demonstrating consistency in gender ratios over the years.
When examining population distribution by county, it becomes evident that Liberia’s population remains heavily concentrated in four counties: Montserrado, Nimba, Bong, and Lofa County. These four counties account for approximately 65 percent of the total population, reflecting a long-standing trend that was observed in the 2008 census as well. Conversely, counties such as Rivercess, Gbarpolu, Grand Kru, and River Gee have lower population numbers and are among the country’s poorest, lacking basic social services due to years of government neglect.
LISGIS reports a population growth rate of 3 percent, accompanied by an average household size of 4.4 persons. This represents a decrease in household size since 1984, when the average was 6.2 persons. The decline in household size aligns with the increasing urbanization and modernization of the country.
Comparatively, Liberia’s average household size is larger than that of Ghana and Ivory Coast but smaller than that of Sierra Leone and Mali, as indicated by LISGIS data. Furthermore, Liberia’s population growth rate is higher than that of Ghana, Guinea, and Ivory Coast but lower than that of Mali and Sierra Leone.
The Legislature is expected to convene on July 17 after the Second Quarter, which began on May 2. However, rumors suggest that the session might be extended by a month to address other important issues requiring urgent attention. In accordance with Article 32(b) of the Constitution, the President’s signature is required for the extension. The President must issue the proclamation within 48 hours of receiving the certificate from at least one-fourth of the total membership of each House. Failure to do so would result in an automatic recess of the Legislature.
It can be recalled that in April this year, The Supreme Court of Liberia refused a request by the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) to invalidate the ongoing National Elections Commission (NEC) voter registration exercise, in which the collaboration had questioned the constitutionality of the ongoing process without demarcation.
In its ruling on Wednesday, April 12, Supreme Court Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Youh, reading the opinion, noted that it finds no reason to disturb the ongoing voter registration exercise since the NEC is not in violation of the Constitution as regards Article 80(d)(e).
The CPP had questioned the constitutionality of the NEC conducting voter registration before the completion of the census. They argued that demarcation of constituencies should occur before voter registration to ensure accurate representation. However, the Supreme Court dismissed their petition, stating that the NEC was not in violation of the Constitution.
The CPP had argued that the NEC’s actions were unconstitutional and requested the Supreme Court to declare them void. They contended that the NEC’s failure to demarcate constituencies before voter registration violated the constitutional mandates.
In response, the NEC’s legal representation argued that the NEC does not have the authority to compel the legislative branch to perform its functions outlined in the Constitution. They claimed that the petition lacked the names of the sitting justices of the Supreme Court and further emphasized the separation of powers doctrine as found in the Liberian Constitution.
The NEC maintained that it was not in violation of the Constitution and that the responsibility to set a threshold for demarcation of electoral constituencies lies with the Legislature. They argued that the petition was legally unreasonable and that the NEC’s actions were within their constitutional rights.
With the census results submitted to the Legislature by LISGIS, it is now up to the Legislature to set the new threshold by which the NEC can demarcate new constituencies. The breakdown of Liberia’s population by electoral districts will aid in this process, allowing for accurate representation and effective governance.