Liberia: Net primary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Liberia's net primary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$20.16 million on 2023 (from −US$333.04 million to −US$353.19 million).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2023), the average change was −US$6.45 million and a typical year strayed about US$258.53 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$679.36 million in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was US$978.36 million in 2010. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$37.46 million a year. A straight line explains 65% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Liberia had the 17th highest value of the 29 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Liberia in the 2024 ranking

• Namibia — 13th of 29: −US$245.58 million
• Rwanda — 14th of 29: −US$333.37 million
• Niger — 15th of 29: −US$348.88 million
• Fiji — 17th of 29: −US$370.14 million
• Zimbabwe — 18th of 29: −US$478.14 million
• Mali — 19th of 29: −US$746.78 million

What this measures

Net primary income includes the net labor income and net property and entrepreneurial income components of the SNA. Labor income covers compensation of employees paid to nonresident workers. Property and entrepreneurial income covers investment income from the ownership of foreign financial claims (interest, dividends, rent, etc.) and nonfinancial property income (patents, copyrights, etc.). This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 30 values

Net primary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Angola — −US$5.94 billion (2025)
• Benin — −US$189.28 million (2023)
• Botswana — −US$383.14 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — −US$1.14 billion (2024)
• Burundi — −US$20.47 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — −US$39.9 million (2025)
• Cameroon — −US$1.11 billion (2024)
• Comoros — US$7.38 million (2023)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — −US$3.36 billion (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — −US$1.65 billion (2021)
• Côte d'Ivoire

More economic policy & debt data for Liberia

• GDP (current US$) — US$5.25 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 5.25 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$3.92 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 4.19 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$915.33 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 915.33 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$684.04 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 731.74 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$4.88 billion (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 4.88 billion (2025)
• GNI per capita (current LCU) — 851.82 (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Liberia's net primary income (current US$, BoP)?

−US$353.19 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1979?

It is down 119,621% from −US$295,012 in 1979. The highest value was US$116.87 million in 2014 and the lowest −US$1.18 billion in 2011.

How does Liberia rank?

17th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in net primary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Liberia?

In 2024, Liberia's net primary income (current US$, BoP) fell US$20.16 million on 2023 (from −US$333.04 million to −US$353.19 million). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2023), the average change was −US$6.45 million and a typical year strayed about US$258.53 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BN.GSR.FCTY.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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