01
Physical geography
Mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions.
Local timeTripoli ·
Africa / Northern Africa · Card 029
Libya
Libya is a country in Northern Africa. Its capital is Tripoli.
Find Libya
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Tripoli
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Libyan dinar (LYD)
- Population
- 7.5 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 1,759,540 km²679,362 square miles
- Independence
- 1951from UN trusteeship
Libya in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Tripoli; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic.
03
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Flag
Three horizontal bands of red (top), black (double-width), and green, with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe
History & independence
Libya became independent as a kingdom on 24 December 1951 following Italian colonial rule, wartime occupation and a UN-led process. A coup ended the monarchy in 1969. The 2011 uprising and war ended Muammar Gaddafi’s rule.
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Independence as the Kingdom of Libya
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A military coup ends the monarchy
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The uprising and war end Gaddafi’s rule
Economy
Main activities
Oil and natural gas dominate export earnings and government revenue. Production interruptions and political division strongly affect the economy. Agriculture is constrained by the country’s arid climate.
Industry and production
petroleum, petrochemicals, aluminum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people7.52025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,082,589 | 2.083 |
| 1980 | 3,424,378 | 3.424 |
| 1990 | 4,445,239 | 4.445 |
| 2000 | 5,305,021 | 5.305 |
| 2010 | 6,497,839 | 6.498 |
| 2020 | 7,045,399 | 7.045 |
| 2025 | 7,458,555 | 7.459 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars64.42025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 49,279,670,598 | 49.280 |
| 1991 | 56,994,467,921 | 56.994 |
| 1992 | 55,448,621,741 | 55.449 |
| 1993 | 53,361,983,286 | 53.362 |
| 1994 | 54,394,423,864 | 54.394 |
| 1995 | 53,186,646,293 | 53.187 |
| 1996 | 54,321,714,851 | 54.322 |
| 1997 | 57,153,327,139 | 57.153 |
| 1998 | 55,123,101,078 | 55.123 |
| 1999 | 55,536,336,508 | 55.536 |
| 2000 | 57,579,668,503 | 57.580 |
| 2001 | 56,564,631,725 | 56.565 |
| 2002 | 56,022,234,981 | 56.022 |
| 2003 | 63,314,109,953 | 63.314 |
| 2004 | 66,138,956,973 | 66.139 |
| 2005 | 73,990,151,521 | 73.990 |
| 2006 | 78,799,900,129 | 78.800 |
| 2007 | 83,709,120,342 | 83.709 |
| 2008 | 83,573,471,187 | 83.573 |
| 2009 | 79,896,086,549 | 79.896 |
| 2010 | 83,912,660,700 | 83.913 |
| 2011 | 41,672,273,291 | 41.672 |
| 2012 | 77,854,953,190 | 77.855 |
| 2013 | 63,842,648,631 | 63.843 |
| 2014 | 49,131,511,071 | 49.132 |
| 2015 | 48,717,501,321 | 48.718 |
| 2016 | 47,991,152,063 | 47.991 |
| 2017 | 63,584,342,258 | 63.584 |
| 2018 | 68,633,808,774 | 68.634 |
| 2019 | 60,949,510,656 | 60.950 |
| 2020 | 42,996,651,438 | 42.997 |
| 2021 | 55,164,567,213 | 55.165 |
| 2022 | 50,586,008,472 | 50.586 |
| 2023 | 55,745,806,520 | 55.746 |
| 2024 | 56,804,949,261 | 56.805 |
| 2025 | 64,400,741,235 | 64.401 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.721High human developmentRank 115 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.690
20000.727
20100.755
20200.688
20230.721
69.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth
7.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Politically divided state with rival governing institutions. The House of Representatives is one of the central institutions in the ongoing political process; there is no settled unified national constitutional order.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Libya.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for Libya?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.