Libya

Broadcast media

state-funded and private TV stations; some provinces operate local TV stations; pan-Arab satellite TV stations are available; state-funded radio (2012)

Internet country code

.ly

Internet users

total: 1,326,194 | percent of population: 20.3% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Telephone system

general assessment: Libya's civil war has disrupted its telecommunications sector, but much of its infrastructure remains superior to that in most other African countries | domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular service generally adequate, but pressure to rebuild damaged infrastructure growing | international: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cable to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1,374,408 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 7,660,068 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 117 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle

Budget

revenues: $6.185 billion | expenditures: $23.5 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-52.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 219

Central bank discount rate

9.52% (31 December 2010) | 3% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 26

Commercial bank prime lending rate

6% (31 December 2016 est.) | 6% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Current account balance

$-4.575 billion (2016 est.) | $-4.582 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Debt - external

$3.116 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.985 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141

Economy - overview

Libya's economy, almost entirely dependent on oil and gas exports, has struggled since 2014 as the country plunged into civil war and world oil prices dropped to seven-year lows. In early 2015, armed conflict between rival forces for control of the country’s largest oil terminals caused a decline in Libyan crude oil production, which never recovered to more than one-third of the average pre-Revolution highs of 1.6 million barrels per day. The Central Bank of Libya continued to pay government salaries to a majority of the Libyan workforce and to fund subsidies for fuel and food, resulting in an estimated budget deficit of about 20% of GDP in 2016. | Libya’s economic transition away from QADHAFI’s notionally socialist model has completely stalled as political chaos persists and security continues to deteriorate. Libya’s leaders have hindered economic development by failing to use its financial resources to invest in national infrastructure. The country suffers from widespread power outages in its largest cities, caused by shortages of fuel for power generation. Living conditions, including access to clean drinking water, medical services, and safe housing, have all declined as the civil war has forced more people to become internally displaced, further straining local resources. | Extremists affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacked Libyan oilfields in the first half of 2015; ISIL has a presence in many cities across Libya including near oil infrastructure, threatening future government revenues from oil and gas.

Exchange rates

Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar - | 1.3904 (2016 est.) | 1.3904 (2015 est.) | 1.379 (2014 est.) | 1.2724 (2013 est.) | 1.26 (2012 est.)

Exports

$11.99 billion (2016 est.) | $13.94 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Exports - commodities

crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals

Exports - partners

Italy 24.2%, Egypt 21.1%, Spain 9.5%, France 7.8%, Croatia 5%, Netherlands 5%, China 4.3% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$20.46 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$40.02 billion (2016 est.) | $40.73 billion (2015 est.) | $44.91 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 107

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 83.6% | government consumption: 21.6% | investment in fixed capital: 3.4% | investment in inventories: 1.3% | exports of goods and services: 32.7% | imports of goods and services: -42.5% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.7% | industry: 38.2% | services: 60.1% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,300 (2016 est.) | $6,500 (2015 est.) | $7,300 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 144

GDP - real growth rate

-3% (2016 est.) | -10.3% (2015 est.) | -53% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213

Gross national saving

-11% of GDP (2016 est.) | -8% of GDP (2015 est.) | -6.8% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$11.01 billion (2016 est.) | $11.24 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Imports - commodities

machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products

Imports - partners

China 14.4%, South Korea 13.3%, Turkey 10.4%, Italy 5.9% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

-6.7% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

27.1% (2016 est.) | 12.1% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 221

Labor force

1.155 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 17% | industry: 23% | services: 59% (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA% | note: about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

Public debt

7.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 7.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$66.05 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $73.83 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31

Stock of broad money

$63.76 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $53.84 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 63

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$22.19 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $21.59 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$18.96 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $18.83 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Stock of domestic credit

$14.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $786.9 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Stock of narrow money

$62.57 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $52.53 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Taxes and other revenues

18.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Unemployment rate

30% (2004 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

57 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Crude oil - exports

383,500 bbl/day | note: Libyan crude oil export values are highly volatile because of continuing protests and other disruptions across the country (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 24

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Crude oil - production

384,700 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Crude oil - proved reserves

48.36 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 9

Electricity - consumption

8.131 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Electricity - from fossil fuels

99.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Electricity - imports

88 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Electricity - installed generating capacity

9.46 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Electricity - production

35.45 billion kWh | note: persistent electricity shortages have contributed to the ongoing instability throughout the country (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Electricity access

population without electricity: 13,083 | electrification - total population: 99.8% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 99.1% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

7.55 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Natural gas - exports

7.11 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - production

11.6 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.505 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 22

Refined petroleum products - consumption

262,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

Refined petroleum products - exports

16,450 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Refined petroleum products - imports

169,400 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Refined petroleum products - production

102,100 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

Area

total: 1,759,540 sq km | land: 1,759,540 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 18

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

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

Environment - current issues

desertification; limited natural freshwater resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, brings water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

25 00 N, 17 00 E

Geography - note

more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

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: 8.8% | arable land 1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 7.6% | forest: 0.1% | other: 91.1% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

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

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

well 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 lack of surface water

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Administrative divisions

22 districts (shabiyat, singular - shabiyat); 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, Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus, 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)

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; drafting of a new constitution by the Constitution Drafting Assembly continued into 2017 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Libya | local long form: none | local short form: Libiya | etymology: name derives from the Libu, an ancient Libyan tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter William BODDE (since 21 December 2015) | note: the embassy closed in July 2014 due to major fighting near the embassy related to the Libyan civil war; embassy staff and operations temporarily moved to Tunis, Tunisia | embassy: Sidi Slim Area/Walie Al-Ahed Road, Tripoli | mailing address: US Embassy, 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850 | telephone: [218] (0) 91-220-3239

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Wafa M.T. BUGHAIGHIS (since 5 December 2014) | chancery: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037 | telephone: [1] (202) 944-9601 | FAX: [1] (202) 944-9606

Executive branch

chief of state: Chairman, Presidential Council, Fayiz al-SARAJ (since December 2015) | head of government: Prime Minister Fayiz al-SARAJ (since December 2015) | cabinet: new cabinet awaiting approval by the House of Representatives | elections/appointments: NA | election results: NA

Flag description

three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double width), and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe; the National Transitional Council reintroduced this flag design of the former Kingdom of Libya (1951-1969) on 27 February 2011; it replaced the former all-green banner promulgated by the QADHAFI regime in 1977; the colors represent the three major regions of the country: red stands for Fezzan, black symbolizes Cyrenaica, and green denotes Tripolitania; the crescent and star represent Islam, the main religion of the country

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, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s): NA; note - government is in transition

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Council of Deputies or Majlis Al Nuwab (200 seats including 32 reserved for women; members elected by direct popular vote; member term NA) | elections: election last held in June 2014; note - the Libyan Supreme Court in November 2014 declared the Council election unconstitutional, but the Council rejected the ruling | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 200; note - not all 200 seats were filled in the June election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the Council also boycotted the election

National anthem

name: "Libya, Libya, Libya" | lyrics/music: Al Bashir AL AREBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB | note: also known as "Ya Beladi" or "Oh, My Country!"; adopted 1951; readopted 2011 with some modification to the lyrics; during the QADHAFI years between 1969 and 2011, the anthem was "Allahu Akbar," (God is Great) a marching song of the Egyptian Army in the 1956 Suez War

National holiday

Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)

National symbol(s)

star and crescent, hawk; national colors: red, black, green

Political parties and leaders

NA

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal

Background

The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when they were defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951. Following a 1969 military coup, Col. Muammar al-QADHAFI assumed leadership and began to espouse his political system at home, which was a combination of 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, another in Northern Africa - and a discotheque bombing in Berlin. UN sanctions in 1992 isolated QADHAFI politically and economically following the attacks; sanctions were lifted in 2003 following Libyan acceptance of responsibility for the bombings and agreement 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 late 2010 erupted in Libyan cities in early 2011. QADHAFI's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned a civil war that triggered UN authorization of air and naval intervention by the international community. After months of seesaw fighting between government and opposition forces, the QADHAFI regime was toppled in mid-2011 and replaced by a transitional government known as the National Transitional Council (NTC). In 2012, the NTC handed power to an elected parliament, the General National Congress (GNC). Voters chose a new parliament to replace the GNC in June 2014 - the House of Representatives (HoR), which relocated to the eastern city of Tobruk after fighting broke out in Tripoli. | In October 2015, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) to Libya, Bernardino LEON, brokered an agreement among a broad array of Libyan political parties and social groups - known as the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA). Members of the Libyan Political Dialogue, including representatives of the HoR and ex-GNC, signed the LPA in December 2015. The LPA called for the formation of an interim Government of National Accord or GNA, with a nine-member Presidency Council, the HoR, and an advisory High Council of State that most ex-GNC members joined. The LPA’s roadmap for a two-year transition to a new constitution and elected government was subsequently endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2259, which also called upon member states to cease official contact with parallel institutions. In January 2016, the HoR voted to approve the LPA, including the Presidency Council, while voting against a controversial provision on security leadership positions. In March 2016, the GNA Presidency Council seated itself in Tripoli. In 2016, the GNA twice announced a slate of ministers who operate de facto, but the HoR did not endorse the ministerial list. HoR and ex-GNC-affiliated hardliners continued to oppose the GNA and hampered the LPA’s implementation.

Military branches

note - in transition; government has affiliated Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard forces (2016)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for mandatory or voluntary service (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.84% (male 879,311/female 839,824) | 15-24 years: 17.09% (male 584,117/female 552,680) | 25-54 years: 47.28% (male 1,651,362/female 1,494,106) | 55-64 years: 5.48% (male 185,679/female 179,224) | 65 years and over: 4.31% (male 141,867/female 145,040) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

17.5 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.6% (2007) | country comparison to the world: 86

Contraceptive prevalence rate

41.9% (2007)

Death rate

3.6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Demographic profile

Despite continuing unrest, Libya remains a destination country for economic migrants. It is also a hub for transit migration to Europe because of its proximity to southern Europe and its lax border controls. Labor migrants have been drawn to Libya since the development of its oil sector in the 1960s. Until the latter part of the 1990s, most migrants to Libya were Arab (primarily Egyptians and Sudanese). However, international isolation stemming from Libya’s involvement in international terrorism and a perceived lack of support from Arab countries led QADHAFI in 1998 to adopt a decade-long pan-African policy that enabled large numbers of sub-Saharan migrants to enter Libya without visas to work in the construction and agricultural industries. Although sub-Saharan Africans provided a cheap labor source, they were poorly treated and were subjected to periodic mass expulsions. | By the mid-2000s, domestic animosity toward African migrants and a desire to reintegrate into the international community motivated QADHAFI to impose entry visas on Arab and African immigrants and to agree to joint maritime patrols and migrant repatriations with Italy, the main recipient of illegal migrants departing Libya. As his regime neared collapse in 2011, QADHAFI reversed his policy of cooperating with Italy to curb illegal migration and sent boats loaded with migrants and asylum seekers to strain European resources. Libya’s 2011 revolution decreased immigration drastically and prompted nearly 800,000 migrants to flee to third countries, mainly Tunisia and Egypt, or to their countries of origin. The inflow of migrants declined in 2012 but returned to normal levels by 2013, despite continued hostility toward sub-Saharan Africans and a less-inviting job market. | While Libya is not an appealing destination for migrants, since 2014, transiting migrants – primarily from East and West Africa – continue to exploit its political instability and weak border controls and use it as a primary departure area to migrate across the central Mediterranean to Europe in growing numbers. In addition, more than 200,000 people were displaced internally as of August 2017 by fighting between armed groups in eastern and western Libya and, to a lesser extent, by inter-tribal clashes in the country’s south.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 49.1 | youth dependency ratio: 42.6 | elderly dependency ratio: 6.4 | potential support ratio: 15.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 54.2% of population | rural: 54.9% of population | total: 54.4% of population | urban: 45.8% of population | rural: 45.1% of population | total: 45.6% of population (2001 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

5% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 143

Hospital bed density

3.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Languages

Arabic (official), Italian, English (all widely understood in the major cities); Berber (Nafusi, Ghadamis, Suknah, Awjilah, Tamasheq)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.7 years | male: 74.9 years | female: 78.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 91% | male: 96.7% | female: 85.6% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

TRIPOLI (capital) 1.126 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Median age

total: 28.9 years | male: 29.1 years | female: 28.7 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Nationality

noun: Libyan(s) | adjective: Libyan

Net migration rate

1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

32.5% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 16

Physicians density

2.09 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

6,653,210 (July 2017 est.) | note: immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population, according to UN data (2015) | country comparison to the world: 106

Population distribution

well 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 lack of surface water

Population growth rate

1.58% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Religions

Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist 0.3%, Hindu <0.1, Jewish <0.1, folk religion <0.1, unafilliated 0.2%, other <0.1 | note: non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims (<1% of the population) and foreign Muslims (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 96.8% of population | rural: 95.7% of population | total: 96.6% of population | urban: 3.2% of population | rural: 4.3% of population | total: 3.4% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.1 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female | total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.04 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 48.7% | male: 40.8% | female: 67.8% (2012 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 79% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco; various Chadian rebels from the Aozou region reside in southern Libya

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 5,379 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2016) | IDPs: 204,458 (conflict between pro-QADHAFI and anti-QADHAFI forces in 2011; post-QADHAFI tribal clashes 2014) (2017)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Libya is a destination and transit country for men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution; migrants who seek employment in Libya as laborers and domestic workers or who transit Libya en route to Europe are vulnerable to forced labor; private employers also exploit migrants from detention centers as forced laborers on farms and construction sites, returning them to detention when they are no longer needed; some sub-Saharan women are reportedly forced to work in Libyan brothels, particularly in the country’s south; since 2013, militia groups and other informal armed groups, including some affiliated with the government, are reported to conscript Libyan children under the age of 18; large-scale violence driven by militias, civil unrest, and increased lawlessness increased in 2014, making it more difficult to obtain information on human trafficking | tier rating: Tier 3 - the Libyan Government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the government’s capacity to address human trafficking was hampered by the ongoing power struggle and violence; the judicial system was not functioning, preventing any efforts to investigate, prosecute, or convict traffickers, complicit detention camp guards or government officials, or militias or armed groups that used child soldiers; the government failed to identify or provide protection to trafficking victims, including child conscripts, and continued to punish victims for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked; no public anti-trafficking awareness campaigns were conducted (2015)

Airports

146 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 41

Airports - with paved runways

total: 68 | over 3,047 m: 23 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 30 | 914 to 1,523 m: 7 | under 914 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 78 | over 3,047 m: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 | 914 to 1,523 m: 37 | under 914 m: 20 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5A (2016)

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 23 | by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 1 | foreign-owned: 2 (Kuwait 1, Norway 1) | registered in other countries: 6 (Hong Kong 1, Malta 5) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 91

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 8 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 23 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,566,465 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3,833,542 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

condensate 882 km; gas 3,743 km; oil 7,005 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Marsa al Burayqah (Marsa el Brega), Tripoli | oil terminal(s): Az Zawiyah, Ra's Lanuf | LNG terminal(s) (export): Marsa el Brega

Roadways

total: 100,024 km | paved: 57,214 km | unpaved: 42,810 km (2003) | country comparison to the world: 47