2023 Edition

Background

As a result of its location at the crossroads of three continents, the area that is modern-day Lebanon is rich in cultural and religious diversity. This region was subject to various foreign conquests for much of its history, including by the Romans, Arabs, and Ottomans. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. From it the French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920, and it gained independence in 1943. Since then, Lebanon has experienced periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its historical position as a regional center for finance and trade, although that status has significantly diminished since the beginning of Lebanon’s economic crisis in 2019, which includes simultaneous currency, debt, and banking crises. The country's 1975-90 civil war, which resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has historically influenced Lebanon's foreign and domestic policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. Hizballah - a major Lebanese political party, militia, and US-designated foreign terrorist organization - and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.Since 2019, Lebanon has experienced a severe economic crisis that has crippled its economy, shut down its previously lucrative banking sector, reduced the value of its currency, and caused many Lebanese to emigrate in search of better prospects.

Area

land

10,230 sq km

total

10,400 sq km

water

170 sq km

Area - comparative

about one-third the size of Maryland

Climate

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows

Coastline

225 km

Elevation

highest point

Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

1,250 m

Geographic coordinates

33 50 N, 35 50 E

Geography - note

smallest country in continental Asia; Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity

Irrigated land

1,040 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Israel 81 km; Syria 403 km

total

484 km

Land use

agricultural land

63.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)

forest

13.4% (2018 est.)

other

23.3% (2018 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; dust storms, sandstorms

Natural resources

limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land

Population distribution

the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density

Terrain

narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Age structure

0-14 years

19.21% (male 524,172/female 500,185)

15-64 years

71.69% (male 1,929,150/female 1,892,806)

65 years and over

9.1% (2023 est.) (male 208,436/female 276,454)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

12.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

1.4%

women married by age 18

6% (2016 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2021) NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.4% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

15.3

potential support ratio

6.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

59.3

youth dependency ratio

44

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

note

note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendants of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians

Gross reproduction rate

0.83 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

6.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

7.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.5 years

male

77.6 years

total population

79 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

93.3% (2018)

male

96.9%

total population

95.1%

Major urban areas - population

2.421 million BEIRUT (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

36.4 years

male

35.1 years

total

35.8 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Lebanese

noun

Lebanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

32% (2016)

Physicians density

2.21 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

5,331,203 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density

Population growth rate

0.64% (2023 est.)

Religions

Muslim 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2020 est.)

note

note: data represent the religious affiliation of the citizen population (data do not include Lebanon's sizable Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations); 18 religious sects recognized

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2014)

male

12 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

28.9% (2020 est.)

male

47.5% (2020 est.)

total

38.2% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

89.4% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

26.7%

male

30.8%

total

29.6% (2021 est.)

Administrative divisions

8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beqaa (Bekaa), Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord (North Lebanon), Liban-Sud (South Lebanon), Mont-Liban (Mount Lebanon), Nabatiye

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

derived from the Canaanite or Phoenician word "ber'ot," meaning "the wells" or "fountain," which referred to the site's accessible water table

geographic coordinates

33 52 N, 35 30 E

name

Beirut

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Lebanon

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

unknown

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic and introduced as a government bill to the National Assembly or proposed by at least 10 members of the Assembly and agreed upon by two thirds of its members; if proposed by the National Assembly, review and approval by two-thirds majority of the Cabinet is required; if approved, the proposal is next submitted to the Cabinet for drafting as an amendment; Cabinet approval requires at least two-thirds majority, followed by submission to the National Assembly for discussion and vote; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of a required two-thirds quorum of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president; amended several times, last in 2004

history

drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926

Country name

conventional long form

Lebanese Republic

conventional short form

Lebanon

etymology

derives from the Semitic root "lbn" meaning "white" and refers to snow-capped Mount Lebanon

former

Greater Lebanon

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah

local short form

Lubnan

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Dorothy C. SHEA (since 11 March 2020)

email address and website

BeirutACS@state.govhttps://lb.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Awkar-Facing the Municipality, Main Street, Beirut

FAX

[961] (4) 544-019

mailing address

6070 Beirut Place, Washington DC  20521-6070

telephone

[961] (04) 543-600

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Wael HACHEM, Counselor (since 15 March 2021)

consulate(s) general

Detroit, New York, Los Angeles

email address and website

info@lebanonembassyus.orghttp://www.lebanonembassyus.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 939-6324

telephone

[1] (202) 939-6300

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and Parliament

chief of state

president (vacant)

election results

2023: on 14 June 2023, Parliament failed in its twelfth attempt to elect a president; Parliament vote (first round) - Sulayman FRANJIEH (Marada Movement) 59, Jihad AZOUR (independent) 51; note - the Hezbollah bloc withdrew following the first-round voting and a second round was not possible since Parliament lacked the required 86-member quorum for a second-round vote  2016: Michel AWN elected president in second round; Parliament vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83; note - in the initial election held on 23 April 2014, no candidate received the required two-thirds vote, and subsequent attempts failed because Parliament lacked the necessary quorum of 86 members to hold a vote; the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by Parliament with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016 (presidential election ongoing as of mid-May 2023); prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament; deputy prime minister determined during cabinet formation

head of government

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib MIQATI (since 20 September 2021)

Flag description

three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 8 chambers, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members)

judge selection and term of office

Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, a 10-member body headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament; members serve 5-year terms

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Lebanese Parliament or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic, Chambre des députés in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-member constituencies by open list proportional representation vote, apportioned evenly between Christian and Muslims; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by coalition/party – NA; seats by party/coalition – FPM 16, LF 14, Amal Movement 13, Hezbollah 13, PSP 9, FM (candidates did not run in 2022; members ran as independents) 8, Kata’ib Party 4, other 30, independent 21; composition - men 120, women 8, percent of women 6.3%; note -a dozen of the elected deputies are from groups pushing for reform with origins in the recent protest movements against the established elite and have formed a group called the "Forces of Change"

elections

last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2026)

note

note: Lebanon’s constitution states the Lebanese Parliament cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant

National anthem

lyrics/music

Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA

name

"Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!)

note

note: adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competition

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Anjar; Baalbek; Byblos; Tyre; Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)

total World Heritage Sites

5 (all cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

National symbol(s)

cedar tree; national colors: red, white, green

Political parties and leaders

Al-Ahbash (Association of Islamic Charitable Projects) or AICP [Shaykh Hussam QARAQIRA]Amal Movement ("Hope Movement") [Nabih BERRI]Azm Movement [Najib MIQATI]Ba’th Arab Socialist Party of Lebanon [leader disputed]Free Patriotic Movement or FPM [Gibran BASSIL]Future Movement Bloc or FM [Sa'ad al-HARIRI] (resigned from politics in January 2022)Hizballah [Hassan NASRALLAH]Islamic Action Front or IAF [Sheikh Zuhayr al-JU’AYD]Kata'ib Party [Sami GEMAYEL]Lebanese Democratic Party [Talal ARSLAN]Lebanese Forces or LF [Samir JA'JA]Marada Movement [Sulayman FRANJIEH]Progressive Socialist Party or PSP [Taymour JUMBLATT] (JUMBLATT is also a member of Parliament)Social Democrat Hunshaqian Party [Sabuh KALPAKIAN]Syrian Social Nationalist Party or SSNP [Rabi BANAT]Tashnaq or Armenian Revolutionary Federation [Hagop PAKRADOUNIAN]

Suffrage

21 years of age; authorized for all men and women regardless of religion; excludes persons convicted of felonies and other crimes or those imprisoned; excludes all military and security service personnel regardless of rank

Agricultural products

potatoes, milk, tomatoes, apples, oranges, olives, wheat, cucumbers, poultry, lemons

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

20.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$16.574 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$11.061 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

RD (2020)

Moody's rating

C (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

D (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$11.265 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$2.995 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.985 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$33.655 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$33.077 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

upper middle-income Middle Eastern economy; economic activity hurt by economic depression, COVID-19, and port explosion; hyperinflation and sharp poverty increases; banks have ceased lending; new financing facility helping with recovery

Exchange rates

Currency

Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

1,507.5 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1,507.5 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1,507.5 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1,507.5 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1,507.5 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$18.208 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$8.773 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$10.147 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, diamonds, scrap iron, wood furniture, grapes, jewelry, cars (2021)

Exports - partners

Switzerland 27%, United Arab Emirates 15%, South Korea 11%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Kuwait 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

23.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

13.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

87.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-46.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.9% (2017 est.)

industry

13.1% (2017 est.)

services

83% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$53.253 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

31.8 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2019

$31.147 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$15.206 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$17.383 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, jewelry, gold (2019)

Imports - partners

United Arab Emirates 11%, China 10%, Italy 8%, Greece 8%, Turkey 7%, United States 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-6.85% (2021 est.)

Industries

banking, tourism, real estate and construction, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

3.01% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

84.86% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

154.76% (2021 est.)

Labor force

1.719 million (2021 est.)

note

note: excludes as many as 1 million foreign workers and refugees

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

39% (2009 est.) NA

industry

NA

services

NA

Population below poverty line

27.4% (2011 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover central government debt and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment

Public debt 2016

145.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

146.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$99.288 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$78.041 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$72.577 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

-7.16% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-21.4% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-7% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$17,200 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$13,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$13,000 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$52.213 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$42.44 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$35.239 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

8.9% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

11.35% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

13.3% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

14.49% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

26.7%

male

30.8%

total

29.6% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

563,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

25.275 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

25.838 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

268,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

268,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

18,715,620,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

900 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

3.768 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.219 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

94.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

53.528 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

168,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

151,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

6 (2020 est.)

total

432,070 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

7 TV stations, 1 of which is state owned; more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state owned; satellite and cable TV services available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2019)

Internet country code

.lb

Internet users

percent of population

87% (2021 est.)

total

4.872 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 16 per 100 and 77 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2021)

general assessment

Lebanon’s economic crisis has had a dire effect on the country’s telecom services; although some progress has been made with developing 5G, the poor economic conditions have contributed to an erratic electricity supply and a lack of fuel to maintain generators; this has meant that internet services to areas of the country are not available on a regular basis, frustrating all those who depend on stable connectivity, and stalling business growth; adding to the difficulties is the political crisis; the cabinet went into caretaker status after the National Assembly election in May 2022 meaning it can only engage in routine decision making; there is little confidence on the ground that sectarian-based political horse-trading will give way to responsible governing to improve the lot of the stressed populace (2023)

international

country code - 961; landing points for the IMEWE, BERYTAR AND CADMOS submarine cable links to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

16 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

880,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

77 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

4.3 million (2021 est.)

Airports

8 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

5

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

3

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OD

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 2, general cargo 32, oil tanker 1, other 14

total

49 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

56.57 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,981,937 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

21

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Pipelines

88 km gas (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Beirut (1,229,100) (2019)

major seaport(s)

Beirut, Tripoli

Railways

narrow gauge

82 km (2017) 1.050-m gauge

note

note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006

standard gauge

319 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge

total

401 km (2017)

Roadways

total

21,705 km (2017)

Military - note

the LAF’s primary responsibilities are defense against external attack, border security, protecting the country’s territorial waters, and assisting with internal security and development projects; on Lebanon’s eastern and northern borders with Syria, the LAF has conducted operations to prevent or eliminate infiltrations of militants linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) and al-Qa’ida terrorist groups since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011; in the south, its focus is on maintaining stability along its volatile border with Israel where the LAF and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are separated by the Blue Line, a demarcation line established by the UN in 2000 following the withdrawal of the IDF, which had occupied southern Lebanon since invading in 1982; since the line’s establishment, the LAF and IDF have had periodic clashes, and IDF aircraft have routinely entered Lebanese air space; the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hizballah is based in south Lebanon and acts as a militia alongside the LAF; it has launched periodic cross-border attacks on Israel and threatened additional attacks, while the IDF has conducted air strikes on Hizballah positions and in 2006 launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon to suppress the group; in 2022, Israeli and Lebanese officials agreed on a common demarcation of their maritime border after US mediationthe LAF’s domestic security responsibilities include countering narcotics trafficking and smuggling, managing protests, conducting search and rescue, and intervening to prevent violence between rival political factions; in recent years, the military has faced a financial crisis as government debt and national economic difficulties have undercut its ability to train and fully pay and supply personnel, which has sparked domestic and international fears that the armed forces may disintegrate; the UN, as well as countries such as France and the US have provided financial assistance the Army has about 12 infantry brigades (including a presidential guard brigade) that are supplemented by independent armored, artillery, border security, and “intervention” infantry regiments, as well as a special operations force comprised of airborne, marine commando, and ranger regiments that are regarded as the LAF’s elite units; the Air Force has a small inventory of aging combat aircraft and helicopters, while the Navy operates a mix of patrol craft and patrol boatsthe United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) has operated in the country since 1978, originally under UNSCRs 425 and 426 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area; following the July-August 2006 war, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1701 enhancing UNIFIL and deciding that in addition to the original mandate, it would, among other things, monitor the cessation of hostilities, support the Lebanese Armed Forces as they deployed throughout the south of Lebanon, and provide assistance for humanitarian access for civilians and the return of displaced persons; UNIFIL had approximately 9,500 military personnel deployed in the country as of early 2023; UNIFIL includes a maritime task force (2023)

Military and security forces

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army Command (includes Presidential Guard Brigade, Land Border Regiments), Naval Forces, Air ForcesMinistry of Interior: Internal Security Forces Directorate (law enforcement; includes Mobile Gendarmerie), Directorate for General Security (DGS; border control, some domestic security duties); Parliamentary Police Force (2023)

note

note 1: the commander of the LAF is also the head of the Army; the LAF patrols external borders, while official border checkpoints are under the authority of Directorate for General Securitynote 2: the Parliamentary Police Force reports to the speaker of parliament and has responsibility for protecting parliament premises and the speaker’s residence; both the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces provide units to the Parliamentary Police Force

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 75,000 active troops (72,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 1,500 Air Force) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the LAF inventory includes a wide mix of mostly older equipment from a diverse array of countries; in recent years, the US has been the leading supplier of armaments (mostly second-hand) to Lebanon (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

4.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

5.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

4.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

3.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)

note

note: women were allowed to volunteer for military service in the 1980s; as of 2023, they comprised about 5% of the active duty military

Disputes - international

Lebanon-Syria: lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; in March 2021, Syria signed a contract with a Russian company for oil and gas exploration in a maritime area Lebanon claims as its own based on a 2011 map sent to the UN Lebanon-Israel: Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights; Lebanon and Israel resumed negotiations over their maritime border in 2020, but their efforts were derailed when Lebanon argued that the map the UN was using needed modifications  

Illicit drugs

source country for amphetamine tablets destined for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Libya and Sudan; source for captagon    

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

7,000 (2020)

refugees (country of origin)

487,000 (Palestinian refugees) (2022); 789,842 (Syria) (2023)

stateless persons

undetermined (2016); note - tens of thousands of persons are stateless in Lebanon, including many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Syrian Kurds denaturalized in Syria in 1962, children born to Lebanese women married to foreign or stateless men; most babies born to Syrian refugees, and Lebanese children whose births are unregistered

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Lebanon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; officials modestly increased investigations and continued to allow an NGO to screen migrants in the government detention center for trafficking; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; a caretaker government, judicial sector strike, and widespread civil service work stoppages limited Lebanon’s ability to establish effective anti-trafficking policies and impacted anti-trafficking efforts; efforts to identify and protect trafficking victims remained woefully inadequate; officials relied on NGOs and civil society to provide shelter and services to victims and did not report providing financial or in-kind support to those organizations; the parliament did not approve a labor law amendment, pending since 2009, to extend legal protections to foreign workers, nor did it approve a draft standardized contract for migrant workers; the lack of formal victim identification and referral procedures placed victims at risk of arrest, detention, or deportation for committing unlawful acts while being trafficked; the government did not reform its visa sponsorship system despite extreme trafficking vulnerabilities inherent in the system; officials rarely convicted traffickers for exploiting domestic servants, the prevalent form of trafficking in Lebanon; therefore, Lebanon was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Lebanon, as well as Lebanese abroad; women and girls from South and Southeast Asia, and increasingly East and West Africa, are subjected to domestic servitude in Lebanon; recruitment agencies continued to aggressively recruit foreign national domestic workers—sometimes through fraudulent or false job offers—particularly from Nigeria and the Philippines; most employers withhold domestic workers’ passports, and some withhold wages, force excessive work hours, restrict freedom of movement, and physically or sexually abuse them; NGOs and international organizations reported increased exploitation of Lebanese adults by Lebanese nationals, particularly in industries such as custodial services; women, primarily from Belarus, Moldova, Morocco, Russia, and Ukraine, enter Lebanon legally under the artiste visa program—which restricts the women from leaving the hotel where they live—and face physical and sexual abuse and domestic servitude; adults and children among the estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon are at high risk of sex and labor trafficking, sometimes at the hands of Syrian traffickers; refugee adults and children are held in bonded labor to pay for food, shelter, and transit and are sometimes contracted as groups to work in agriculture in the Beka’a Valley; forced child labor within the Syrian refugee population continued to rise, particularly in agriculture, construction, and street vending and begging; some of the children are forced or coerced to conduct criminal activity; Syrian refugee LGBTQI+ persons, women, girls, and some men are highly vulnerable to sex trafficking; some of the refugee women and girls are forced by family members into commercial sex acts or early marriage, and they are highly vulnerable to trafficking; Syrian and Lebanese nationals fleeing the economic crisis are vulnerable to sex trafficking in Turkey; non-state armed groups, including Hizballah, Fatah al-Islam, Jund Ansar Allah, Saraya al-Muqawama, and ISIS, recruited or used child soldiers in recent years; refugee children, particularly in Palestinian refugee camps, were especially vulnerable to recruitment or use as child soldiers  (2023)

Terrorist group(s)

Abdallah Azzam Brigades; al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; Asbat al-Ansar; HAMAS; Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Nusrah Front (Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham); Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command

note

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 Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

24.8 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

3.37 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

24.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil deterioration, erosion; desertification; species loss; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills; waste-water management

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Food insecurity

widespread lack of access

due to the ongoing financial and economic crisis - according to the latest analysis, about 1.46 million Lebanese residents (38% of the resident population) were subjected to severe food insecurity between January and April 2023 (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

63.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)

forest

13.4% (2018 est.)

other

23.3% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

4.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

700 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

900 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

89.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2.04 million tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

163,200 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

8% (2014 est.)