The GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in the country within a year. Service industries account for about 54 percent of Liberia's GDP and employ about 16 percent of the work force. Mining accounts for about 14 percent of the GDP and employs about 6 percent. Manufacturing and construction together account for approximately 12 percent of the GDP and employ about 3 percent. Agriculture is the chief occupation in Liberia.
Many Liberian families raise crops on small plots of land owned by their communities.
Cassava, rice, sugar cane, and tropical fruits are the chief food crops. Most of the farmers also raise sheep, goats, pigs, and other livestock. Most Liberian farmers use old-fashioned farming methods, and few have modern farm machinery. Liberia's farmers produce goods mainly for their own families, and so there is little to sell to city dwellers. As a result, the country must import much of its food.