Counties Ranking
County Ranking: Oldest, Largest Area, and Largest Population to the Least
This page offers three clear, data-driven rankings to help researchers, policymakers, students, and the public compare counties across different dimensions. Each ranking presents standardized figures and quick, credible comparisons.
What you’ll find
Oldest to youngest: A timeline-style ranking by the year each county was established or created, with contextual notes on origin or parent counties.
Largest to smallest population: A demographic ranking by total county population, using LISGIS-based figures and the LISGIS 2022 LPHC framework as the primary reference.
Largest to smallest area: A geographic ranking by surface area (square miles and square kilometers), with Density of each county.
RANKING BY OLDEST COUNTY
| RANKING | COUNTY | YEAR |
| 1 | Montserrado | 1821/1847 |
| 2 | Grand Bassa | 1833 |
| 3 | Sinoe | 1843 |
| 4 | Grand Cape Mount | 1856 |
| 5 | Maryland | 1857 |
| 6 | Bong | 1964 |
| 6 | Grand Gedeh | 1964 |
| 6 | Lofa | 1964 |
| 6 | Nimba | 1964 |
| 10 | Bomi | 1984 |
| 10 | Grand Kru | 1984 |
| 11 | Margibi | 1985 |
| 11 | Rivercess | 1985 |
| 14 | River Gee | 2000 |
| 15 | Gbarpolu | 2003 |
RANKING BY LARGEST SURFACE AREA
| RANKING | COUNTY | SURFACE AREA | |
| Sq Mi | km2 | ||
| 1 | Nimba | 4,460 | 11,546 |
| 2 | Grand Gedeh | 4,048 | 10,480 |
| 3 | Sinoe | 3,914 | 10,133 |
| 4 | Lofa | 3,854 | 9,978 |
| 5 | Gbarpolu | 3,741 | 9,685 |
| 6 | Bong | 3,387 | 8,769 |
| 7 | Grand Bassa | 3,064 | 7,932 |
| 8 | Rivercess | 2,160 | 5,592 |
| 9 | Grand Cape Mount | 1,993 | 5,160 |
| 10 | River Gee | 1,974 | 5,110 |
| 11 | Grand Kru | 1,504 | 3,894 |
| 12 | Margibi | 1,010 | 2,615 |
| 13 | Maryland | 887 | 2,296 |
| 14 | Bomi | 750 | 1,942 |
| 15 | Montserrado | 737 | 1,908 |
| 37,482 | 97,036 | ||
RANKING BY LARGEST POPULATION
| RANKING | COUNTY | POPULATION |
| 1 | Montserrado | 1,920,965 |
| 2 | Nimba | 621,841 |
| 3 | Bong | 467,561 |
| 4 | Lofa | 367,376 |
| 5 | Margibi | 304,946 |
| 6 | Grand Bassa | 293,689 |
| 7 | Grand Gedeh | 216,692 |
| 8 | Grand Cape Mount | 178,867 |
| 9 | Maryland | 172,587 |
| 10 | Sinoe | 151,149 |
| 11 | Bomi | 133,705 |
| 12 | River Gee | 124,653 |
| 13 | Grand Kru | 109,342 |
| 14 | Gbarpolu | 95,995 |
| 15 | Rivercess | 90,819 |
| 5,250,187 |
Highlight of the Population of Liberia’s Counties (2022 LPHC)
- Montserrado leads with 1,920,965 residents—over a third of Liberia’s total population.
- Nimba follows at 621,841, then Bong with 467,561.
- The least populated counties are Rivercess (90,819) and Gbarpolu (95,995).
- The chart uses a gradient of blues, with darker shades representing higher populations for visual clarity.
- The total population across all 15 counties is 5,250,187.
Credit Sources:
Republic of Liberia – Ministry of Internal Affairs
Liberian Government Gazette (1964 Establishment Act)
National Archives of Liberia
County Development Agenda (CDA) 2008-2012
2022 Housing and Population Census: Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS)