2024 Edition Primary

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. 

Area

land

1,759,540 sq km

total

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 semidesertnote 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 surrounded by vegetation and hosting various insects and a large diversity of birds

Irrigated land

4,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 989 km; Chad 1,050 km; Egypt 1,115 km; Niger 342 km; Sudan 382 km; Tunisia 461 km

total

4,339 km

Land use

agricultural land

8.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)

forest

0.1% (2018 est.)

other

91.1% (2018 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

exclusive fishing zone

62 nm

note

note: Gulf of Sidra closing line - 32 degrees, 30 minutes north

territorial sea

12 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 as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

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

beer

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

20.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.7% (2014)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

27.7% (2014)

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

59.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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, approximately 135,000 people were displaced internally as of  August 2022 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

elderly dependency ratio

7.3

potential support ratio

13.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.8

youth dependency ratio

43.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

1.46 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

9.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

12.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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

female

80 years

male

75.5 years

total population

77.7 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

85.6% (2015)

male

96.7%

total population

91%

Major urban areas - population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

26.2 years

male

26.3 years

total

26.2 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Libyan

noun

Libyan(s)

Net migration rate

-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

32.5% (2016)

Physician density

2.09 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

female

3,613,899 (2024 est.)

male

3,747,364

note

note: immigrants make up just over 12% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)

total

7,361,263

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 as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.44% (2024 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

note: non-Sunni Muslims include native Ibadhi Muslims (<1% of the population) and foreign Muslims

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

3 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.6% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

originally founded by the Phoenicians as Oea in the 7th century B.C., the city changed rulers many times over the successive centuries; by the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. the region around the city was referred to as Regio Tripolitana by the Romans, meaning "region of the three cities" - namely Oea (i.e., modern Tripoli), Sabratha (to the west), and Leptis Magna (to the east); over time, the shortened name of "Tripoli" came to refer to just Oea, which derives from the Greek words tria and polis meaning "three cities"

geographic coordinates

32 53 N, 13 10 E

name

Tripoli (Tarabulus)

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

amendments

note - in early March 2023, the High Council of State voted for a constitutional amendment to provide a groundwork for elections

history

previous 1951, 1977; in July 2017, the Constitutional Assembly completed and approved a draft of a new permanent constitution; in September 2018, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional referendum law in a session with contested reports of the quorum needed to pass the vote and submitted it to the High National Elections Commission in December to begin preparations for a constitutional referendum

Country name

conventional long form

State of Libya

conventional short form

Libya

etymology

name derives from the Libu, an ancient Libyan tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.

local long form

Dawlat Libiya

local short form

Libiya

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Jeremy BERNDT (since 14 October 2023)

email address and website

Webmaster_Libya@state.govhttps://ly.usembassy.gov/

embassy

US Embassy Tripoli operations suspended in 2014

mailing address

8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC  20521-8850

note

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

telephone

[216] 71-107-000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1460 Dahlia Street NW, Washington, DC 20012

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Fadil S M OMAR (since 17 July 2023)

email address and website

info@embassyoflibyadc.comhttps://www.embassyoflibyadc.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 944-9606

telephone

[1] (202) 944-9601

Executive branch

chief of state

President, Presidential Council, Mohammed al-MANFI (since 5 February 2021)

elections/appointments

Libya’s first direct presidential election, scheduled for 24 December 2021, was not held; no new date has been set for elections

head of government

GNU Interim Prime Minister Abd-al-Hamid DUBAYBAH (since 5 February 2021)

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, 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; the judicial system is factious given the ongoing tension between Libya's eastern and western regions; since 2011, Libyan political factions and armed groups have targeted judges and courthouses

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description

unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Al Nuwab) or HoR (200 seats; members directly elected by majority vote; member term NA)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note - only 188 of the 200 seats were filled in the June 2014 election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations; some elected members of the House of Representatives also boycotted the election

elections

last held on 25 June 2014

note

note: 32 seats are reserved for women

National anthem

lyrics/music

Al Bashir AL AREBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB

name

"Libya, Libya, Libya"

note

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 heritage

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 Ghadamès

total World Heritage Sites

5 (all cultural)

National holiday

Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal

Agricultural products

potatoes, watermelons, tomatoes, onions, dates, milk, olives, chicken, wheat, vegetables (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$37.475 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$28.005 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$4.817 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$4.78 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$5.675 billion (2021 est.)

note

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

Currency

Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1.398 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.389 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

4.514 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

4.813 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

4.813 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$29.326 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$9.537 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$32.38 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, refined petroleum, scrap iron (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Italy 26%, Spain 10%, Germany 9%, China 7%, France 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

68.6% (2023 est.)

government consumption

31.8% (2023 est.)

household consumption

26.1% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-41.3% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.1% (2018 est.)

investment in inventories

-1.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.6% (2023 est.)

industry

85% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

46.6% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$50.492 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2019

$25.368 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$14.334 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$25.406 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, garments, broadcasting equipment, tobacco (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Turkey 15%, China 12%, Italy 12%, Greece 10%, UAE 7% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

12.54% (2023 est.)

note

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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.87% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

4.51% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.37% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

2.398 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2017

4.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$122.39 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$124.026 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$121.951 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

153.49% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

1.34% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-1.67% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$18,200 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$18,200 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$17,700 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2020

0% of GDP (2020 est.)

Remittances 2021

0% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0% of GDP (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$82.262 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$86.683 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$92.427 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

51.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

19.6% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

19.32% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

18.74% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

68% (2023 est.)

male

41.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

49.4% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from consumed natural gas

18.072 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

31.68 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

49.751 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports

300 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

24.674 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

847.216 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

10.517 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

6.457 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

70% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

117.609 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

9.212 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

2.62 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

11.832 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1.505 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

48.363 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

230,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

1.245 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2020 est.)

total

332,000 (2020 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

46.2% (2021 est.)

total

3,095,400 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

nearly 23 per 100 fixed-line and over 43 per 100 mobile-cellular subscriptions; service generally adequate (2021)

general assessment

political and security instability in Libya has disrupted its telecom sector; much of its infrastructure remains superior to that in most other African countries; rival operators fight for control; investment in fiber backbone and upgrades to international cables; limited LTE and 5G service; some satellite broadband; in 2021 Libya signed deals and projects with US firms to upgrade portions of its infrastructure, increasing the diversity of its telecommunications networks (2022)

international

country code - 218; landing points for LFON, EIG, Italy-Libya, Silphium and Tobrok-Emasaed submarine cable system connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, Arabsat, and Intersputnik;  microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

1.218 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

205 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

13.94 million (2022 est.)

Airports

66 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5A

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 2, oil tanker 13, other 81

total

96 (2023)

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

927,153 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

55

number of registered air carriers

9 (2020)

Pipelines

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

Ports

key ports

Al Burayqah, Az Zawiya, Banghazi, Mersa Tobruq, Mina Tarabulus (Tripoli)

medium

2

ports with oil terminals

10

small

3

total ports

14 (2024)

very small

9

Roadways

total

34,000 km (2021)

Military - note

the western-based GNU and the eastern-based LNA forces are separated by a fortified line of control running roughly from the coastal city of Sirte south to the vicinity of Al Jufra and Brak; 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; both the LNA and the GNU forces have incorporated foreign fighters into their ranks (2024)

Military and security forces

the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) has access to various ground, air, and naval/coast guard forces comprised of a mix of formations and equipment from the QADHAFI regime, semi-regular and nominally integrated units, tribal armed groups/militias, civilian volunteers, and foreign private military contractors and mercenaries; the GNU has a Ministry of Defense, but has limited control over its security forcesthe self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), under de facto LNA commander Khalifa HAFTER, also includes various ground, air, and naval forces comprised of semi-regular military personnel, militias, and foreign private military contractors and mercenaries; the LNA operates independently from the GNU and exerts influence throughout eastern, central, and southern Libya; some of the armed groups nominally under the LNA operate under their own command structures and engage in their own operations (2024)

note

note 1: the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA) is a state-funded militia established in January 2021 by the GNA; it is tasked with securing government buildings and officials, participating in combat operations, apprehending those suspected of national security crimes, and cooperating with other security bodies; other forces operating in western Libya include the Misrata Counter Terrorism Force, Special Deterrence Forces (aka Radaa), 444 Brigade, 111 Brigade, Nawasi Brigade, and the Joint Operations Force note 2: the national police force under the Ministry of Interior oversees internal security (with support from military forces under the Ministry of Defense), but much of Libya's security-related police work generally falls to informal armed groups, which receive government salaries but lack formal training, supervision, or consistent accountability

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, Turkey has the been the primary supplier of arms to the GNU, while the LNA has received quantities from Russia and the United Arab Emirates (2024)

note

note: Libya is under a UN-imposed arms embargo

Military expenditures

not available

Military service age and obligation

not available

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

125,802 (conflict between pro-QADHAFI and anti-QADHAFI forces in 2011; post-QADHAFI tribal clashes 2014) (2023)

refugees (country of origin)

11,623 (Syria) (refugees and asylum seekers), 8,302 (Eritrea) (2023); 6,293 (Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)

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

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

50.56 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

45.76 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

29.84 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

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; water pollution is a significant problem; the combined impact of sewage, oil byproducts, and industrial waste threatens Libya's coast and the Mediterranean Sea

Environment - international 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

Food insecurity

severe localized food insecurity

due to civil insecurity, economic and political instability, and high food prices - a 2023 analysis states that about 300,000 people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023; the country relies heavily on imports (up to 90%) to cover its cereal consumption requirements (mostly wheat for human consumption and barley for feed); between 2016 and 2020, the country sourced over 30% of its wheat imports from Ukraine, and 20% from the Russian Federation; almost 65% of total maize imports of 650,000 mt, and 50% of total barley imports of 1 million mt originated from Ukraine, making the Libya vulnerable to disruptions in shipments from the Black Sea region (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

8.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)

forest

0.1% (2018 est.)

other

91.1% (2018 est.)

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)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

700 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

4.85 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

280 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

700 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,147,596 tons (2011 est.)