Grand Gedeh County — Economic Profile

County Overview

• Capital: Zwedru
• Region: South-East
• Year: 2,024
• Population: 216,692
• Land Area (km²): 10,480
• GDP Contribution (USD M): 84.6
• GDP Share %: 1.8
• Growth Rate %: 3.8
• Gov Allocation (USD): 410,000
• Main Resources: Timber, wildlife, fertile land

Key Industries

• Agriculture
• Timber
• Hunting/bushmeat

Agricultural Products

• Rice
• Cassava
• Cocoa
• Coffee

National Trade Context

• Year: 2,026
• Total Exports (USD): 199.97
• Total Imports (USD): 261.94
• Trade Balance (USD): -61.97
• FDI Inflows (USD): 0
• Remittances (USD): 84.78
• Top Export Commodity: Rubber
• Top Import Commodity: Fuel
• Top Trading Partners: United States, Canada, Switzerland

Private Sector Context (National)

• Year: 2,024
• Total GDP Contribution (USD M): 545.5
• Total Employment: 29,270
• ArcelorMittal Liberia: 480,000,000 USD revenue · 3,200 employees · mining
• Firestone Natural Rubber: 185,000,000 USD revenue · 6,800 employees · agriculture
• BRAC Liberia: 12,000,000 USD revenue · 450 employees · social services
• Save the Children Liberia: 8,500,000 USD revenue · 320 employees · health & education
• SME Sector Aggregate: 95,000,000 USD revenue · 18,500 employees · mixed (trade, services, manufacturing)

Economic Analysis & Outlook

Grand Gedeh County, with its capital Zwedru, represents a vital yet developing segment of Liberia's south-eastern economy, contributing approximately 84.6 million USD to the national GDP. While the county currently accounts for a modest 1.8 percent of national output, it maintains a steady growth rate of 3.8 percent. The economic structure is heavily anchored in the primary sector, with agriculture serving as the bedrock through the cultivation of rice, cassava, cocoa, and coffee. Beyond farming, the local economy relies significantly on timber extraction and hunting, reflecting a traditional dependency on natural resource harvesting. Despite this production, the county faces challenges related to limited infrastructure and a government allocation of 410,000 USD, which must be leveraged carefully to catalyze regional development and support the population of over 216,000 residents. The regional trade landscape reflects broader national pressures, where a negative trade balance persists, and the current absence of foreign direct investment limits the scaling of local industries. To foster sustainable growth, there is significant potential to transition from subsistence-based agriculture to commercial cocoa and coffee processing, which could add value locally and create employment. However, the outlook remains sensitive to external market fluctuations in commodity prices and the need for improved logistics to connect rural producers with national markets. By prioritizing infrastructure investment and diversifying agricultural output, Grand Gedeh can stabilize its economic trajectory and move toward a more integrated role in the national economy, potentially attracting future private sector interest as market access improves.