Summary: A popular Facebook blog claims that Liberia is the 5th safest country on the African continent, citing the World Population Review for 2024. We reviewed the same report and have concluded that the information shared by the blog was incorrect.
On July 20, DN-News Liberia, a popular social media blog, claimed in a Facebook post that Liberia has been ranked the 5th safest country in Africa. The post aimed to highlight the safety of Liberia under the Presidency of Joseph Boakai compared to the six-year rule of former President George Weah. The blog cited the World Population Review 2024 as their source.
The post received mixed reactions within 10 hours, garnering 489 reactions, 192 comments, and 22 shares.
The Claim
DN-News Liberia’s post stated: “After 6 years, Liberia ranked 5th safest country for tourists and investors under Boakai… Top 10 Safest Countries in Africa, according to World Population Review 2024.”
Rating Justification
To verify this claim, we conducted an online search and found the World Population Review (WPR) 2024, which DN-News Liberia cited as their source.
The World Population Review (WPR) is a website that provides various demographic data, including statistics on population, economy, geography, education, and health for countries and regions worldwide. They offer insights that help users understand global population trends and changes. WPR collects data from reliable sources like the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Bank, CIA World Factbook, National Statistical Agencies, and other international organizations.
In the World Population Review 2024, a country’s safety is ranked under the Global Peace Index (GPI), an annual report from the Institute for Economics and Peace that measures the peacefulness of 163 countries. The GPI uses 23 indicators grouped into three categories: Ongoing International and Domestic Conflict, Societal Safety and Security, and Militarization.
These indicators include the number and duration of internal conflicts, relationships with neighboring countries, political instability, violent crimes, and perceived criminality in society. All these indicators are combined to create a single GPI value for each country. The lower the GPI score, the more peaceful and safer the country is considered to be.
Contrary to DN-News Liberia’s claim, the World Population Review 2024 ranks Liberia as the 10th safest country in Africa, not the 5th.
Conclusion
Based on our findings, we conclude that the claim made by DN-News Liberia that the World Population Review 2024 has ranked Liberia as the 5th safest country in Africa is misleading. A careful review of WPR shows that while Liberia is considered safe, it is ranked as the 10th safest country in Africa.
This report is produced with funding from the USAID Media Activity. The funder has No say in the editorial decisions leading to the production of this content
