Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · Upper middle income
Libya: the economy in numbers
Per person: $6,449, or $16,521 at purchasing power parity. Population: 7.46 million (2025).
$48.1B+13.4%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #101 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +3.3%.
GDP per capita
$6,449
2025 · #123 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$16,521
2025 · #116 of 197
Inflation
1.8%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 14.1%
Government debt
153.8%
2025 · % of GDP, general government
Population
7.46M
2025 · #105 of 217
Unemployment
18.8%
2025 · ILO estimate
Life expectancy
71.1 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $4.38 billion in 1960, $48.1 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $2,931 per person in 1960, $6,449 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 2.8% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 22 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 2.93 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 29.4% in 1978.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1990: 238.0% of GDP in 2020. IMF forecast for 2031: 174.4%.
Population
1960: 1.49 million · 2025: 7.46 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 18.6% · 2025: 18.8%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 40.8 years · 2024: 71.1 years.
Exports of goods and services
1990: 39.7% · 2025: 71.7%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 2.1%f | 10.2%f | 174.4%f | |||||||
| 2030 | 2.3%f | 11.1%f | 166.5%f | |||||||
| 2029 | 2.5%f | 12.8%f | 158.6%f | |||||||
| 2028 | 2.7%f | 13.3%f | 149.2%f | |||||||
| 2027 | 2.9%f | 16.1%f | 132.1%f | |||||||
| 2026 | 3.3%f | 14.1%f | 125.2%f | |||||||
| 2025 | $48.1B | $6,449 | $16,521 | 13.4% | 1.8% | 153.8% | 7.46M | 18.8% | 71.7% | |
| 2024 | $48.5B | $6,569 | $14,325 | 1.9% | 2.1% | 115.3% | 7.38M | 19.1% | 71.1 | 71.7% |
| 2023 | $44B | $6,027 | $13,858 | 10.2% | 2.4% | 91.6% | 7.31M | 18.7% | 69.3 | 85.6% |
| 2022 | $43.2B | $5,987 | $12,264 | −8.3% | 4.5% | 77.6% | 7.22M | 19.2% | 74.5 | 92.0% |
| 2021 | $35.2B | $4,936 | $12,642 | 28.3% | 2.9% | 98.4% | 7.14M | 19.8% | 72.1 | 92.1% |
| 2020 | $46.9B | $6,650 | $10,955 | −29.5% | 1.4% | 238.0% | 7.05M | 19.7% | 72.4 | 20.4% |
| 2019 | $69.3B | $9,963 | $16,194 | −11.2% | −2.2% | 110.3% | 6.95M | 19.1% | 72.9 | 42.4% |
| 2018 | $76.7B | $11,197 | $18,879 | 7.9% | 13.2% | 95.9% | 6.85M | 18.9% | 73.2 | 39.6% |
| 2017 | $67.2B | $9,966 | $18,026 | 32.5% | 25.8% | 91.8% | 6.74M | 19.1% | 72.7 | 27.2% |
| 2016 | $49.9B | $7,526 | $16,961 | −1.5% | 25.9% | 89.5% | 6.63M | 19.6% | 71.8 | 14.6% |
| 2015 | $48.7B | $7,458 | $17,903 | −0.8% | 10.4% | 69.4% | 6.53M | 19.7% | 71.6 | 22.2% |
| 2014 | $57.4B | $8,926 | $17,510 | −23.0% | 2.4% | 60.2% | 6.43M | 19.3% | 71.3 | 32.2% |
| 2013 | $75.4B | $11,952 | $21,151 | −18.0% | 2.6% | 25.9% | 6.3M | 19.3% | 72.3 | 59.9% |
| 2012 | $92.5B | $14,976 | $26,826 | 86.8% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 6.18M | 19.0% | 72.2 | 66.9% |
| 2011 | $48.2B | $7,594 | $15,698 | −50.3% | 15.5% | 4.2% | 6.34M | 19.5% | 70.0 | 38.1% |
| 2010 | $75.4B | $11,601 | $30,234 | 5.0% | 2.8% | 12.0% | 6.5M | 19.3% | 72.2 | 66.3% |
| 2009 | $60.8B | $9,551 | $29,027 | −4.4% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 6.37M | 19.3% | 72.1 | 63.2% |
| 2008 | $86.7B | $13,906 | $30,812 | −0.2% | 10.4% | 2.5% | 6.24M | 19.0% | 71.9 | 74.1% |
| 2007 | $68B | $11,145 | $30,929 | 6.2% | 6.3% | 3.4% | 6.1M | 18.8% | 71.8 | 73.4% |
| 2006 | $60.1B | $10,049 | $28,936 | 6.5% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 5.98M | 18.8% | 71.6 | 71.8% |
| 2005 | $47.3B | $8,079 | $26,903 | 11.9% | 2.7% | 3.2% | 5.86M | 18.7% | 71.4 | 63.7% |
| 2004 | $33.1B | $5,774 | $23,813 | 4.5% | −2.2% | 4.0% | 5.74M | 18.9% | 71.2 | 63.8% |
| 2003 | $26.3B | $4,674 | $22,663 | 13.0% | −2.2% | 26.3% | 5.62M | 19.1% | 71.0 | 57.3% |
| 2002 | $20.5B | $3,718 | $20,061 | −1.0% | −9.8% | 34.0% | 5.51M | 19.3% | 70.8 | 44.8% |
| 2001 | $34.1B | $6,313 | $20,332 | −1.8% | −8.8% | 41.8% | 5.4M | 19.2% | 70.7 | 26.5% |
| 2000 | $38.3B | $7,214 | $20,617 | 3.7% | −2.9% | 42.4% | 5.31M | 19.3% | 70.5 | 31.6% |
| 1999 | $36B | $6,895 | $19,769 | 0.7% | 2.6% | 55.3% | 5.22M | 19.2% | 70.6 | 20.2% |
| 1998 | $27.3B | $5,301 | $19,639 | −3.6% | 3.7% | 67.7% | 5.14M | 19.2% | 70.7 | 19.4% |
| 1997 | $30.7B | $6,062 | $20,439 | 5.2% | 3.6% | 63.6% | 5.06M | 19.2% | 70.7 | 26.8% |
| 1996 | $27.9B | $5,591 | $19,392 | 2.1% | 4.0% | 67.2% | 4.99M | 19.2% | 70.7 | 28.7% |
| 1995 | $25.5B | $5,205 | $18,952 | −2.2% | 7.2% | 59.7% | 4.91M | 19.3% | 70.6 | 29.2% |
| 1994 | $28.6B | $5,933 | $19,318 | 1.9% | 5.1% | 61.4% | 4.82M | 19.3% | 70.5 | 27.0% |
| 1993 | $30.7B | $6,478 | $18,904 | −3.8% | 11.1% | 64.3% | 4.73M | 19.0% | 70.2 | 28.2% |
| 1992 | $33.9B | $7,303 | $19,572 | −2.7% | 9.4% | 62.8% | 4.64M | 18.8% | 70.0 | 30.6% |
| 1991 | $32B | $7,040 | $20,085 | 15.7% | 11.9% | 64.9% | 4.54M | 18.6% | 69.6 | 33.8% |
| 1990 | $28.9B | $6,502 | $17,173 | 3.7% | 8.5% | 71.2% | 4.45M | 69.3 | 39.7% | |
| 1989 | $25.2B | $5,793 | 7.2% | 1.5% | 4.34M | 69.0 | ||||
| 1988 | $24.3B | $5,736 | 7.6% | 6.1% | 4.24M | 68.6 | ||||
| 1987 | $26.7B | $6,465 | −14.7% | 4.4% | 4.13M | 68.3 | ||||
| 1986 | $24.2B | $6,019 | −11.4% | 3.3% | 4.02M | 67.8 | ||||
| 1985 | $31.5B | $8,087 | 8.3% | 9.1% | 3.9M | 67.3 | ||||
| 1984 | $29.5B | $7,811 | −5.0% | 12.5% | 3.77M | 66.7 | ||||
| 1983 | $33.2B | $8,927 | −2.5% | 10.6% | 3.72M | 66.3 | ||||
| 1982 | $33.8B | $9,064 | 2.8% | 10.3% | 3.72M | 65.8 | ||||
| 1981 | $36.4B | $10,044 | −19.2% | 11.2% | 3.62M | 65.3 | ||||
| 1980 | $41B | $11,960 | 0.7% | 9.7% | 3.42M | 64.8 | ||||
| 1979 | $30.5B | $9,443 | 9.0% | −6.0% | 3.23M | 64.3 | ||||
| 1978 | $22.1B | $7,252 | 3.3% | 29.4% | 3.05M | 63.8 | ||||
| 1977 | $22.4B | $7,783 | 8.9% | 6.3% | 2.88M | 63.1 | ||||
| 1976 | $19.1B | $7,018 | 22.9% | 5.5% | 2.72M | 62.4 | ||||
| 1975 | $14.7B | $5,721 | 4.0% | 9.1% | 2.57M | 61.6 | ||||
| 1974 | $15.1B | $6,214 | 22.2% | 7.5% | 2.43M | 60.7 | ||||
| 1973 | $8.63B | $3,727 | 1.9% | 8.0% | 2.31M | 59.7 | ||||
| 1972 | $6.3B | $2,830 | 9.1% | −0.3% | 2.23M | 58.7 | ||||
| 1971 | $5.26B | $2,443 | −5.3% | −3.1% | 2.15M | 57.6 | ||||
| 1970 | $4.6B | $2,210 | 5.0% | −5.3% | 2.08M | 56.4 | ||||
| 1969 | $4.38B | $2,175 | 13.1% | 9.8% | 2.01M | 55.2 | ||||
| 1968 | $3.85B | $1,972 | 33.9% | 0.4% | 1.95M | 53.8 | ||||
| 1967 | $2.73B | $1,437 | 11.1% | 7.3% | 1.9M | 52.5 | ||||
| 1966 | $2.31B | $1,251 | 18.6% | 12.2% | 1.85M | 50.9 | ||||
| 1965 | $1.8B | $1,001 | 28.1% | 11.4% | 1.8M | 49.3 | ||||
| 1964 | $1.34B | $765 | 45.1% | 1.75M | 47.7 | |||||
| 1963 | $892M | $528 | 35.0% | 1.69M | 45.6 | |||||
| 1962 | $620M | $382 | 32.5% | 1.62M | 44.1 | |||||
| 1961 | $444M | $285 | 9.9% | 1.56M | 42.4 | |||||
| 1960 | $402M | $269 | 1.49M | 40.8 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Afghanistan · Algeria · Bahrain · Djibouti · Egypt · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Malta · Morocco · Oman · Pakistan · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · West Bank and Gaza · Yemen
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)