Economy of Libya

Economy of Libya
Tripoli, financial capital of Libya
CurrencyLibyan dinar (LYD, ل.د)
calendar year
Trade organisations
OPEC, COMESA, CEN-SAD, AMU
Country group
Statistics
Population 7,417,134 (2024)
GDP
  • $44.812 billion (nominal, 2024 est.)
  • $106.12 billion (PPP, 2024 est.)
GDP rank
GDP growth
  • 10.2% (2023)
  • 2.4% (2024e)
  • 13.7% (2025f)
  • 4.1% (2026f)
GDP per capita
  • $6,482 (nominal, 2024 est.)
  • $17,800 (PPP, 2024 est.)
GDP per capita rank
GDP by sector
  • agriculture 1.3%
  • industry 52.3%
  • services 46.4%
  • (2017 est.)
2% (2024)
Population below poverty line
  • NA%
  • about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line
N/A
0.718 high (2022)
Labour force
  • 2,534,196 (2023)
  • 38.7% employment rate (2012)
Labour force by occupation
  • agriculture: 17%
  • industry: 23%
  • services: 59%
  • (2004)
Unemployment 18.74% (2023 est.)
Main industries
petroleum, steel, iron, food processing, textiles, cement
External
Exports $32.38 billion (2021 est.)
Export goods
crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals
Main export partners
Imports$25.406 billion (2021 est.)
Import goods
machinery, transport equipment, semi-finished goods, food, consumer products
Main import partners
FDI stock
  • $92.427 billion (2023 est.)
  • Abroad: $20.97 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.675 billion (2021 est.)
$3.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
Public finances
4.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
$74.71 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
−25.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Revenues28.005 billion (2019 est.)
Expenses37.475 billion (2019 est.)
Economic aidrecipient ODA $9 million (2010), $642 million (2011), $87 million (2012)
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

The economy of Libya depends primarily on revenues from the petroleum sector, which represents over 95% of export earnings and 60% of GDP. These oil revenues and a small population have given Libya one of the highest nominal per capita GDP in Africa.

After 2000, Libya recorded favorable growth rates with an estimated 10.6% growth of GDP in 2010. This development was interrupted by the Libyan Civil War, which resulted in contraction of the economy by 62.1% in 2011. After the war, the economy rebounded by 104.5% in 2012. It crashed again following the Second Libyan Civil War. As of 2024, Libya's per capita PPP GDP stands at only 65% of its pre-war level in 2010.