Montserrado County — Economic Profile
On-demand county report for Montserrado, generated by garmaijohnson75@gmail.com on 2026-08-07.
County Overview
- Capital: Bensonville
- Region: South-Central
- Year: 2,024
- Population: 1,920,914
- Land Area (km²): 1,910
- GDP Contribution (USD M): 2,585
- GDP Share %: 55
- Growth Rate %: 5.2
- Gov Allocation (USD): 1,850,000
- Main Resources: Services hub, port infrastructure, construction aggregates
Key Industries
- Services
- Trade
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Port of Monrovia
Agricultural Products
- Rice
- Cassava
- Vegetables
- Palm oil
Social Programs & Development Funding
- Total Programs: 3
- Total Funding (USD): 11,600,000
- Total Beneficiaries: 270,000
- National School Feeding Program: 4,500,000 USD · 120,000 beneficiaries · Ministry of Education (2024)
- Urban Cash Transfer Program: 3,200,000 USD · 45,000 beneficiaries · World Bank / UNICEF (2024)
- National School Feeding Program: 3,900,000 USD · 105,000 beneficiaries · Ministry of Education (2023)
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
Montserrado County serves as the undisputed economic engine of Liberia, contributing 55% of the national GDP with a robust growth rate of 5.2%. Anchored by the strategic Port of Monrovia and a concentrated population of over 1.9 million residents, the county thrives on a diversified base of services, trade, manufacturing, and construction. While agricultural activities in rice, cassava, and palm oil remain active, the economic narrative is dominated by the urban-centric commercial activities centered around the capital, Bensonville, and the broader Monrovia metropolitan area. With significant social program funding totaling 11.6 million USD supporting 270,000 beneficiaries, the county effectively balances its industrial output with essential social safety nets to manage its dense demographic profile. Despite its economic dominance, the county faces a challenging national trade deficit of 61.97 million USD, characterized by a reliance on imports that outweighs export performance. The absence of Foreign Direct Investment reported in the current data highlights a critical opportunity for policy shifts to attract international capital to the manufacturing and logistics sectors. Future growth hinges on modernizing the Port of Monrovia to streamline regional trade and incentivizing value-added processing for local agricultural products. While the 1.85 million USD government allocation is modest relative to the county's contribution to the national treasury, targeted infrastructure investment remains the primary pathway for sustaining long-term development. Looking forward, Montserrado is well-positioned to maintain its status as the national economic hub, provided that efforts are made to bridge the trade gap, improve urban infrastructure, and leverage its status as a gateway for regional commerce to stimulate a more sustainable and export-oriented industrial landscape.