Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months) in Liberia
Liberia: Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months) was 55.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding in Liberia, 1986–2020
Source: State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in % of children under 6 months.
Analysis
In 2020, exclusive breastfeeding in Liberia stood at 55.2%. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is up 62.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding in Liberia peaked at 55.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 1986.
That places Liberia 24th out of 72 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months) in Liberia, year by year
| Year | % of children under 6 months | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 12.6% | — |
| 2000 | 35.4% | +181.0% |
| 2007 | 27.8% | -21.5% |
| 2010 | 34.0% | +22.3% |
| 2013 | 54.6% | +60.5% |
| 2020 | 55.2% | +1.2% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 55.2% is above the median for low income countries, which is 53.8%, 1.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 55.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.6%, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.6% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 31.6% | 27.8% | 35.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 44.3% | 34.0% | 54.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 55.2% | 55.2% | 55.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
- 21 Burkina Faso 57.9% compare
- 22 Tanzania 57.8% compare
- 23 Bolivia 55.7% compare
- 25 Philippines 54.9% compare
- 26 Sierra Leone 54.0% compare
- 27 Gambia 53.6% compare
More health data for Liberia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7528 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,457 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.068 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0699 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exclusive breastfeeding in Liberia?
- Exclusive breastfeeding in Liberia was 55.2% in 2020, according to State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding recorded in Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 55.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 1986.
- How does Liberia rank for exclusive breastfeeding?
- Liberia ranks 24th out of 72 countries with data for 2020.
- Is exclusive breastfeeding rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Liberia data come from?
- The figures come from State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Exclusive breastfeeding refers to the percentage of children less than six months old who are fed breast milk alone (no other liquids) in the past 24 hours.