In Summary:
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Representative Anthony Williams claimed that 64% of Liberia’s population is made up of young people.
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Our verification of the 2022 LISGIS National Population and Housing Census and the Liberia National Youth Policy 2025–2029 found that about 5% to 75% of Liberia’s population is under the age of 35.
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Therefore, the claim is incorrect, as the available official data indicate that nearly three-quarters of Liberians are young people.
On July 16, Maryland County District #2 Representative Anthony Williams claimed during a live interview on Verity Online News that 64% of Liberia’s population constitutes young people.
Report By: Gegee Brima | LMEP Fact Check Grant Fellow
He made the statement while speaking to the press following the House of Representatives’ endorsement of the Youth Legislative Caucus on July 16.
The decision of the House establishes an institutional platform within the 55th National Legislature through which lawmakers will collaborate to champion policies, legislation, and national initiatives that address the aspirations and challenges confronting Liberia’s young people.
The Claim
His exact words were: “Today is a great day for the young people of Liberia, as you may be aware, 64% of the population constitutes young people.”
Rating Justification
To verify the claim, we reviewed data from the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services LISGIS, based on the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, as well as the Liberia National Youth Policy and Action Plan 2025–2029, developed with support from UNFPA Liberia.
Universally, there is no agreed international definition of youth, as the concept changes across different cultures, laws, and organizations. However, for statistical purposes, the United Nations defines youth as persons aged 15 to 24 years.
Also, in the LISGIS census analytical reports, youth are classified into two specific age categories: 15–24 years (to conform to international standards) and 15–35 years (in accordance with the Liberia National Youth Policy).
According to the Census thematic report, Liberia’s population is made up of a large proportion of children, adolescents, and youth, from ages 0 to 35 years. The report indicates that the youth make up 74.5% of the total population of Liberia. The proportion of the population from 15 to 24 years makes up 23.6%, while from 15 to 35 accounted for 41.7%.
Similarly, a review of the Liberia National Youth Policy 2025–2029 showed that “75% of Liberia’s population is under the age of 35,” highlighting the country’s predominantly youthful demographic.
Additionally, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also reports that Liberia has a “significant youthful population, with nearly 75 percent under 35.”
Meanwhile, a report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) indicates that Liberia has a predominantly youthful population, with 63% of its people under the age of 25, while 32.8% are between the ages of 10 and 24.
Conclusion
Based on our research, we conclude that Representative Williams’ claim that 64% of Liberia’s population constitutes young people is incorrect.
According to the 2022 National Census, nearly 75% of the country’s population consists of young people under 35.
Editor’s Note: This story is produced as part of the Liberia Media Empowerment Project (LMEP) implemented by Internews with funding from the European Union. The funder or partner had no say in the production of this fact-check report.
