LiberiaData

Montserrado County

Established in 1847 as one of Liberia’s three founding counties, Montserrado County is one of Liberia’s 15 counties, located in the Northwestern Region with its county capital in Bensonville and home to Monrovia, the national capital.

The oldest county in Liberia and its political, economic, and administrative centre, Montserrado is simultaneously the most populous, the most densely settled, and the smallest county by area in the country. Its history traces to 1822, when formerly enslaved African Americans settled on Providence Island along the Mesurado River under the auspices of the American Colonization Society, laying the foundation for what became the Republic of Liberia. According to the 2022 LISGIS Population and Housing Census, the county has a population of 1,920,965, representing 36.59% of the national total, distributed across 15 Administrative Districts and 17 Electoral Districts.

The comprehensive county profile below explores Montserrado’s governance, history, population, economy, geography, infrastructure, and development indicators.