Libya

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 326,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

state-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2019)

Internet country code

.ly

Internet users

percent of population: 89% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1.218 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 13.9 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 205 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

potatoes, onions, watermelons, tomatoes, dates, olives, milk, chicken, wheat, vegetables (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $28.005 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $37.475 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance

$1.865 billion (2023 est.) $9.607 billion (2022 est.) $5.675 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

upper middle-income, fossil fuel-based North African economy; 31% economic contraction due to COVID-19 and 2020 oil blockade; reduced government spending; central bank had to devalue currency; public wages are over 60% of expenditures

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar - 4.832 (2024 est.) 4.813 (2023 est.) 4.813 (2022 est.) 4.514 (2021 est.) 1.389 (2020 est.)

Exports

$37.753 billion (2023 est.) $39.831 billion (2022 est.) $32.38 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, gold, scrap iron (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Italy 23%, Germany 15%, Spain 9%, France 7%, China 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$46.636 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 32.7% (2024 est.) government consumption: 36.7% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 14.8% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 74.8% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -59.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.7% (2024 est.) industry: 68.3% (2024 est.) services: 34.3% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$33.284 billion (2023 est.) $27.872 billion (2022 est.) $25.406 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, tobacco, garments, cars (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 17%, Turkey 15%, Italy 8%, UAE 8%, Egypt 8% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-5.8% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, aluminum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (2024 est.) 2.4% (2023 est.) 4.5% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

2.585 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

7.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$90.609 billion (2024 est.) $91.161 billion (2023 est.) $82.756 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

-0.6% (2024 est.) 10.2% (2023 est.) -8.3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$12,300 (2024 est.) $12,500 (2023 est.) $11,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0% of GDP (2023 est.) 0% of GDP (2022 est.) 0% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$92.894 billion (2024 est.) $92.427 billion (2023 est.) $86.683 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Unemployment rate

18.7% (2024 est.) 18.8% (2023 est.) 19.3% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 49.5% (2024 est.) male: 41.5% (2024 est.) female: 68.8% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

imports: 4,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 10.519 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 28.826 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 800 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 7.081 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 70% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

100.844 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 11.16 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 8.633 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 2.527 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 1.505 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 1.245 million bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 207,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 48.363 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

46.479 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 700 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 29.542 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 16.936 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Environmental issues

desertification; limited natural freshwater resources; water pollution; threats to coastal ecosystem from sewage, oil byproducts, and industrial waste

International environmental agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Law of the Sea

Land use

agricultural land: 8.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 7.6% (2023 est.) forest: 0.1% (2023 est.) other: 91.2% (2023 est.)

Methane emissions

energy: 1,357.4 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 63.4 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 77.3 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 3.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

29.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

700 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 700 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 280 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 4.85 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.148 million tons (2024 est.)

Area

total : 1,759,540 sq km land: 1,759,540 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 2.5 times the size of Texas; slightly larger than Alaska

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Coastline

1,770 km

Elevation

highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m mean elevation: 423 m

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 17 00 E

Geography - note

note 1: more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert note 2: the volcano Waw an Namus lies in south central Libya in the middle of the Sahara; the caldera is an oasis -- the name means "oasis of mosquitoes" -- containing several small lakes that host many species of insects and birds

Irrigated land

4,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 4,339 km border countries (6): Algeria 989 km; Chad 1,050 km; Egypt 1,115 km; Niger 342 km; Sudan 382 km; Tunisia 461 km

Land use

agricultural land: 8.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 1% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 7.6% (2023 est.) forest: 0.1% (2023 est.) other: 91.2% (2023 est.)

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria

Major aquifers

Nubian Aquifer System, North Western Sahara Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado Basin

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 62 nm note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Population distribution

over 90% of the population lives along the Mediterranean coast in and between Tripoli to the west and Al Bayda to the east; the interior remains vastly underpopulated due to the Sahara and its lack of surface water, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Administrative divisions

22 governorates ( muhafazah , singular - muhafazat ); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi (Benghazi), Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus (Tripoli), Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati

Capital

name: Tripoli (Tarabulus) geographic coordinates: 32 53 N, 13 10 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name derives from the Greek words tri and polis , meaning "three cities;" the modern-day city was founded in the 14th century to replace the three ancient cities of Pallantium, Tegea, and Mantineia

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Libya dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: varies from 3 to 5 years

Constitution

history: previous 1951, 1977, 2011 (interim) note: a draft constitution was approved in 2017, but it is not yet ratified

Country name

conventional long form: State of Libya conventional short form: Libya local long form: Dawlat Libiya local short form: Libiya etymology: the name probably derives from the Libu, a North African tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.; the ancient Greeks and Romans used the name for the entire North African coast west of Egypt

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Jeremy BERNDT (since 14 October 2023) embassy: US Embassy Tripoli operations suspended in 2014 mailing address: 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850 telephone: [216] 71-107-000 email address and website: Webmaster_Libya@state.gov https://ly.usembassy.gov/ note: the US Embassy in Tripoli closed in July 2014 due to Libyan civil unrest; embassy staff and operations currently are located at US Embassy Tunis, Tunisia

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Fadil S M OMAR (since 17 July 2023) chancery: 1460 Dahlia Street NW, Washington, DC 20012 telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601 FAX: [1] (202) 944-9606 email address and website: info@embassyoflibyadc.com https://www.embassyoflibyadc.org/

Executive branch

chief of state: President, Presidential Council, Mohammed al-MANFI (since 5 February 2021) head of government: GNU Interim Prime Minister Abd-al-Hamid DUBAYBAH (since 5 February 2021) election/appointment process: first direct presidential election was not held as planned most recent election date: scheduled for 24 December 2021 but not held expected date of next election: no new date has been set for elections

Flag

description: three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double-width), and green, with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe meaning: the colors represent the three major regions of the country: red stands for Fezzan, black for Cyrenaica, and green for Tripolitania; the crescent and star represent Islam history: the National Transitional Council reintroduced this flag design from the former Kingdom of Libya (1951-69) in 2011 to replace the all-green banner of the QADHAFI regime

Government type

in transition

Independence

24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BDEAC, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, LCBC, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNSMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Libya's judicial system consists of a supreme court, central high courts (in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sabha), and a series of lower courts

Legal system

Libya's post-revolution system is in flux and driven by state and non-state entities

Legislative branch

legislative structure: unicameral chamber name: House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nuwaab) number of seats: 200 (all directly elected) electoral system: other systems scope of elections: full renewal most recent election date: 6/25/2014 percentage of women in chamber: 16.5% expected date of next election: December 2026 note: 32 seats are reserved for women

National anthem(s)

title: "Libya, Libya, Libya" lyrics/music: Al Bashir AL AREBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB history: adopted 1951, but replaced in 1969 when QADHAFI came to power; readopted 2011 with some modification to the lyrics; also known as "Ya Beladi" (O My Country)

National color(s)

red, black, green

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 5 (all cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Archaeological Site of Cyrene; Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna , Archaeological Site of Sabratha ; Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus; Old Town of Ghadam s

National holiday

Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)

National symbol(s)

star and crescent, hawk

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal

Background

Berbers have inhabited central north Africa since ancient times, but Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Persians, Egyptians, Romans, and Vandals have all settled and ruled the region. In the 7th century, Islam spread through the area. In the mid-16th century, Ottoman rule began; the Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and held it until 1943, when they were defeated in World War II. Libya then came under UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership with a military coup in 1969 and began to espouse a political system that combined socialism and Islam. During the 1970s, QADHAFI used oil revenues to promote his ideology outside Libya, supporting subversive and terrorist activities that included the downing of two airliners -- one over Scotland and another in Northern Africa -- and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically; the sanctions were lifted in 2003 when Libya accepted responsibility for the bombings and agreed to claimant compensation. QADHAFI also agreed to end Libya's program to develop weapons of mass destruction, and he made significant strides in normalizing relations with Western nations. Unrest that began in several Middle Eastern and North African countries in 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned an eight-month civil war that saw the emergence of a National Transitional Council (NTC), UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community, and the toppling of the QADHAFI regime. In 2012, the NTC handed power to an elected parliament, the General National Congress (GNC), which was replaced two years later with the House of Representatives (HoR). In 2015, the UN brokered the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) among a broad array of political parties and social groups, establishing an interim executive body. However, hardliners continued to oppose and hamper the LPA implementation, leaving Libya with eastern and western-based rival governments. In 2018, the international community supported a recalibrated plan that aimed to break the political deadlock with a National Conference in 2019. These plans, however, were derailed when the eastern-based, self-described Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive to seize Tripoli. The LNA offensive collapsed in 2020, and a subsequent UN-sponsored cease-fire helped formalize the pause in fighting between rival camps. In 2021, the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue Forum selected a new prime minister for an interim government -- the Government of National Unity (GNU) -- and a new presidential council charged with preparing for elections and uniting the country s state institutions. The HoR approved the GNU and its cabinet the same year, providing Libya with its first unified government since 2014, but the parliament then postponed the planned presidential election to an undetermined date in the future. In 2022, the HoR voted to replace GNU interim Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid DUBAYBAH, with another government led by Fathi BASHAGHA. GNU allegations of an illegitimate HoR vote allowed DUBAYBAH to remain in office and rebuff BASHAGHA's attempts to seat his government in Tripoli. In 2023, the HoR voted to replace BASHAGHA with Osma HAMAD. Special Representative of the UN Security-General for Libya, Abdoulaye BATHILY, is leading international efforts to persuade key Libyan political actors to resolve the core issues impeding elections.

Military - note

the western-based forces aligned with the GNU and the eastern-based LNA forces are separated by a fortified line of control just west of the coastal city of Sirte; Turkey has provided support to the GNU forces, including military trainers, ammunition, weapons, and aerial drones; Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have been the main supporters of the LNA (2025)

Military and security forces

the Libyan Armed Forces of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) have various ground, air, and naval/coast guard forces, which include a mix of nominally integrated and semi-regular units, tribal armed groups and militias, civilian volunteers, and foreign military contractors; the GNU's armed forces are nominally under the control of the Ministry of Defense; the GNU also has various internal security forces under both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior (2025) note: the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA; aka Libyan Arab Armed Forces, LAAF) under Khalifa HAFTER also includes various ground, air, and naval/coast guard forces comprised of semi-regular military personnel, militias, other armed groups, and foreign military contractors; some of the armed units nominally under the LNA operate under their own command structures and engage in their own operations

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimates not available

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

both the forces aligned with the GNU and the LNA are largely equipped with weapons of Russian or Soviet origin; in recent years, T rkiye has the been the primary supplier of arms to the GNU, while the LNA has received quantities from Russia and the United Arab Emirates (2025) note: Libya is under a UN-imposed arms embargo

Military expenditures

not available

Military service age and obligation

not available

Age structure

0-14 years: 32.3% (male 1,211,087/female 1,165,648) 15-64 years: 63.2% (male 2,385,152/female 2,263,780) 65 years and over: 4.6% (2024 est.) (male 151,125/female 184,471)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

19.83 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.3% (2022 est.)

Death rate

3.48 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 58.3 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 51.1 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 7.2 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 13.9 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Amazigh and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Egyptian, Greek, Indian, Italian, Maltese, Pakistani, Tunisian, and Turkish)

Gross reproduction rate

1.44 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

5.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Tamazight (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq) major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.7 years (2024 est.) male: 75.5 years female: 80 years

Major urban areas - population

1.183 million TRIPOLI (capital), 984,000 Misratah, 859,000 Benghazi (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

59 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 26.4 years (2025 est.) male: 26.3 years female: 26.2 years

Nationality

noun: Libyan(s) adjective: Libyan

Net migration rate

-2.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

32.5% (2016)

Physician density

2.04 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

total: 7,361,263 (2024 est.) male: 3,747,364 female: 3,613,899 note: immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)

Population distribution

over 90% of the population lives along the Mediterranean coast in and between Tripoli to the west and Al Bayda to the east; the interior remains vastly underpopulated due to the Sahara and its lack of surface water, as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.35% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist 1%, Hindu 1%, Jewish 1%, folk religion 1%, other 1%, unaffiliated 1% (2020 est.) note: non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims ( 1% of the population) and foreign Muslims

Sanitation facility access

total: 99.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.96 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 81.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

Ansar al-Sharia groups; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Libya (ISIS-L); al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun); al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 277,010 (2024 est.) IDPs: 139,305 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating: Special Case; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/libya/

Airports

75 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5A

Merchant marine

total: 96 (2023) by type: general cargo 2, oil tanker 13, other 81

Ports

total ports: 14 (2024) large: 0 medium: 2 small: 3 very small: 9 ports with oil terminals: 10 key ports: Al Burayqah, Az Zawiya, Banghazi, Mersa Tobruq, Mina Tarabulus (Tripoli)