Bong County — Economic Profile
On-demand county report for Bong, generated by garmaijohnson75@gmail.com on 2026-08-07.
County Overview
- Capital: Gbarnga
- Region: North-Central
- Year: 2,024
- Population: 467,502
- Land Area (km²): 8,770
- GDP Contribution (USD M): 329
- GDP Share %: 7
- Growth Rate %: 5.8
- Gov Allocation (USD): 780,000
- Main Resources: Gold, diamonds, rubber, fertile soil
Key Industries
- Rubber plantations
- Gold & diamond mining
- Agriculture
Agricultural Products
- Rubber
- Rice
- Cassava
- Palm oil
- Vegetables
Social Programs & Development Funding
- Total Programs: 2
- Total Funding (USD): 2,450,000
- Total Beneficiaries: 40,000
- Agricultural Inputs Subsidy: 1,500,000 USD · 22,000 beneficiaries · Ministry of Agriculture (2024)
- Rural Education Support: 950,000 USD · 18,000 beneficiaries · Save the Children (2024)
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)
Government Institutions (National Fiscal Context)
- Year: 2,024
- Total Govt Expenditure (USD): 260,070,253
- Total Active Employees: 10,827
- Ministry of Education: 56,811,463 USD · 1,964 employees
- Ministry of Health: 47,974,124 USD · 1,751 employees
- Ministry of Public Works: 35,349,355 USD · 722 employees
- Ministry of National Defense: 27,774,493 USD · 2,229 employees
- Ministry of Finance & Development Planning: 22,724,585 USD · 446 employees
- Ministry of Justice: 20,199,631 USD · 1,539 employees
National Trade Trends (Multi-Year)
- 2023: Exports: 920 · Imports: 1,340 · Balance: -420 · FDI: 312
- 2024: Exports: 1,304 · Imports: 1,728 · Balance: -424 · FDI: 0
- 2025: Exports: 3,180 · Imports: 3,420 · Balance: -240 · FDI: 520
- 2026: Exports: 199.97 · Imports: 261.94 · Balance: -61.97 · FDI: 0
- 2026: Exports: 3,650 · Imports: 4,000 · Balance: -350 · FDI: 560
Economic Analysis & Outlook
Bong County serves as a pivotal economic hub within Liberia’s North-Central region, contributing approximately 7% to the national GDP with a valuation of 329 million USD. The county’s economic vitality is primarily anchored by a robust agricultural sector—centered on rubber, palm oil, rice, and cassava—complemented by significant artisanal gold and diamond mining operations. With an annual growth rate of 5.8%, Bong demonstrates resilient performance, though this is tempered by a trade deficit and a reliance on domestic production that currently lacks direct Foreign Direct Investment. The county government, supported by an allocation of 780,000 USD, plays a facilitating role in this landscape, while targeted social programs reaching 40,000 beneficiaries help to mitigate poverty and sustain local human capital development. Opportunities for future growth lie in the modernization of the agricultural value chain and the formalization of the mining sector to attract capital inflow. By investing in processing facilities for rubber and palm oil, Bong could shift from raw material exportation to higher-value finished goods, thereby improving its trade balance. However, the county faces inherent risks, including the volatility of commodity prices and the necessity for improved infrastructure to bridge the gap between production and market accessibility. Provided that the county can leverage its demographic strength and natural resource base, the forward-looking outlook remains cautiously optimistic, with the potential to emerge as a primary engine for national economic expansion.
Primary sources
- CBL
- — Central Bank of Liberia: Annual Report and Monthly Economic Review: monetary policy, exchange rates, banking soundness, balance of payments
- MFDP
- — Ministry of Finance and Development Planning: National Budget, budget execution reports, public debt and fiscal transfers
- LISGIS
- — Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services: 2022 Population and Housing Census, consumer price index, external trade and household surveys
- LRA
- — Liberia Revenue Authority: Annual Report: tax and non-tax collections, taxpayer register, filing and payment compliance
- IMF
- — International Monetary Fund: Article IV consultation reports, World Economic Outlook and fiscal/debt analysis
- World Bank
- — World Bank Group: World Development Indicators, Liberia Economic Update, debt and poverty statistics
- UNDP
- — United Nations Development Programme: Human Development Report and its index components
- WHO
- — World Health Organization: Global Health Observatory: mortality, immunization and health-system estimates
Each figure above is attributed to the publishing institution and its reporting period. Derived and AI-generated forecasts are labelled separately from published data.