Country or area · Northern Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024

Libya population

Libya population now

7,560,570

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 7.1–8.1 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 7,305,659

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 7.53986 million; 95% range, 31 Dec: 7.1–8.1 million
Median age: 29.0
Aged 65+: 5.4%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024 peak 2086

male female projection · one cell = 1,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

LBY · 1950–2100 · in brief

Libya in numbers

Libya had 7,305,659 people in mid-2023, the 106th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 0.09% of the world's people. That is 6.5 times its 1950 population of 1.1 million.

The UN's medium projection has it peaking in 2086 at 10.0 million, then falling to 9.8 million by 2100. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 4.2 million to 19.4 million.

In the medium projection, deaths outnumber births every year from 2082 on. The population still grows until 2086, because more people arrive than leave.

The median age was 20.7 in 1950 and 28.2 in 2023; the projection has 47.2 in 2100. 4.9% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 28.0% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is projected to peak in 2066 at 6.2 million.

Its place in the world by population: 106th in 2023, 105th in 2050, 103rd in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Hong Kong in 2025, Belarus in 2036 and Austria in 2044. It is overtaken by Kyrgyzstan in 2036, the Republic of the Congo in 2037 and the Central African Republic in 2041.

Population, mid-2023: 7,305,659
Rank by population, 2023: 106 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: 0.09%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: +1.13% · +81,855 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 4.2
Land area, 2023: 1,759,540 km²
Births, 2023: 124,371
Deaths, 2023: 48,610
Net migration, 2023: −2,001
Children per woman, 2023: 2.35
Median age, 2023: 28.2 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 69.3 years
In a city, 2025: 45 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 1,131,461
Projected, mid-2050: 9,260,606
Projected, mid-2100: 9,783,569

LBY · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

peak 2086estimates | projections05 m10 m15 m20 m1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. One column is one year's population, read on 1 January; the paper rules divide it into equal cells.

Show the numbers: Libya, 1950–2100

Libya: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	1,125,232		55,562	36,765	7.01	33.1
1951	estimate	1,137,689		56,455	37,049	7.03	33.5
1952	estimate	1,153,085		57,502	37,355	7.05	33.8
1953	estimate	1,171,874		59,182	37,698	7.13	34.2
1954	estimate	1,194,709		60,941	38,021	7.18	34.6
1955	estimate	1,221,644		62,934	38,291	7.24	35.3
1956	estimate	1,261,110		65,271	38,689	7.29	36.0
1957	estimate	1,304,807		67,882	38,956	7.35	36.9
1958	estimate	1,352,901		70,655	38,923	7.40	38.0
1959	estimate	1,405,513		73,519	38,680	7.46	39.3
1960	estimate	1,462,418		76,538	38,146	7.51	40.8
1961	estimate	1,523,362		79,581	37,413	7.56	42.4
1962	estimate	1,588,037		82,753	36,500	7.61	44.1
1963	estimate	1,655,883		86,201	35,780	7.68	45.6
1964	estimate	1,725,032		89,527	34,298	7.75	47.6
1965	estimate	1,782,350		92,184	33,049	7.82	49.3
1966	estimate	1,825,680		91,874	31,480	7.89	51.0
1967	estimate	1,872,447		91,744	29,856	7.93	52.5
1968	estimate	1,923,952		92,360	28,390	7.97	53.9
1969	estimate	1,981,610		93,872	27,091	8.01	55.2
1970	estimate	2,046,977		96,560	26,072	8.05	56.4
1971	estimate	2,118,201		100,128	25,194	8.10	57.6
1972	estimate	2,188,866		102,259	24,396	8.07	58.7
1973	estimate	2,263,316		104,926	23,670	8.05	59.7
1974	estimate	2,365,069		112,614	23,276	8.02	60.7
1975	estimate	2,499,353		118,100	23,240	7.98	61.6
1976	estimate	2,643,759		124,324	23,180	7.93	62.5
1977	estimate	2,798,715		131,040	23,270	7.87	63.1
1978	estimate	2,964,351		138,026	23,357	7.79	63.8
1979	estimate	3,140,702		145,050	23,582	7.68	64.3
1980	estimate	3,326,990		151,886	23,852	7.54	64.8
1981	estimate	3,521,765		154,162	23,931	7.37	65.3
1982	estimate	3,721,208		157,428	23,915	7.16	65.8
1983	estimate	3,728,323		144,898	22,715	6.91	66.3
1984	estimate	3,709,598		131,464	21,435	6.62	66.8
1985	estimate	3,837,669		131,348	21,155	6.33	67.3
1986	estimate	3,959,821		130,175	20,849	6.02	67.8
1987	estimate	4,074,986		128,372	20,610	5.72	68.3
1988	estimate	4,184,492		125,967	20,499	5.41	68.6
1989	estimate	4,291,017		123,193	20,369	5.09	69.0
1990	estimate	4,394,823		120,207	20,312	4.78	69.3
1991	estimate	4,495,656		116,869	20,287	4.46	69.6
1992	estimate	4,593,143		113,841	20,276	4.16	70.0
1993	estimate	4,687,561		110,947	20,393	3.88	70.3
1994	estimate	4,778,529		109,414	20,646	3.65	70.5
1995	estimate	4,865,545		108,698	21,036	3.44	70.6
1996	estimate	4,948,141		108,538	21,588	3.26	70.7
1997	estimate	5,026,645		109,276	22,376	3.13	70.7
1998	estimate	5,102,633		110,914	23,301	3.04	70.7
1999	estimate	5,178,776		112,999	24,258	2.97	70.6
2000	estimate	5,257,299		115,070	25,259	2.91	70.5
2001	estimate	5,352,744		119,188	25,818	2.87	70.7
2002	estimate	5,454,534		123,921	26,324	2.83	70.8
2003	estimate	5,562,287		128,796	26,653	2.80	71.0
2004	estimate	5,676,508		134,100	26,957	2.77	71.2
2005	estimate	5,796,877		140,042	27,218	2.77	71.4
2006	estimate	5,920,719		143,111	27,469	2.70	71.6
2007	estimate	6,039,703		144,745	28,042	2.65	71.8
2008	estimate	6,169,056		146,142	28,657	2.60	71.9
2009	estimate	6,301,804		147,418	29,317	2.56	72.1
2010	estimate	6,431,569		152,991	30,063	2.60	72.2
2011	estimate	6,564,109		157,980	36,964	2.65	70.0
2012	estimate	6,122,297		139,570	30,715	2.68	72.2
2013	estimate	6,236,358		142,107	31,332	2.72	72.3
2014	estimate	6,372,899		145,406	34,982	2.75	71.3
2015	estimate	6,481,604		143,183	35,090	2.71	71.6
2016	estimate	6,582,035		140,949	35,680	2.67	71.8
2017	estimate	6,682,216		138,217	34,326	2.63	72.7
2018	estimate	6,795,323		135,914	34,294	2.58	73.2
2019	estimate	6,902,786		133,744	35,900	2.54	72.9
2020	estimate	6,999,279		132,007	39,063	2.51	72.4
2021	estimate	7,091,519		129,689	41,687	2.46	72.1
2022	estimate	7,178,831		126,684	34,733	2.40	74.5
2023	estimate	7,268,778		124,371	48,610	2.35	69.3
2024	estimate	7,342,540		121,747	48,229	2.30	71.1
2025	projection	7,419,506	7.2–7.6 million	120,174	41,907	2.25	73.2
2026	projection	7,497,603	7.1–7.8 million	118,954	37,073	2.21	75.2
2027	projection	7,582,100	7.1–8.1 million	118,169	38,008	2.18	75.4
2028	projection	7,672,876	7.1–8.3 million	117,914	39,011	2.14	75.5
2029	projection	7,760,807	7.0–8.4 million	117,937	40,068	2.11	75.7
2030	projection	7,843,617	7.1–8.6 million	117,948	41,162	2.08	75.9
2031	projection	7,927,996	7.0–8.8 million	118,237	42,263	2.06	76.1
2032	projection	8,010,221	7.0–9.0 million	118,724	43,392	2.03	76.3
2033	projection	8,086,759	7.0–9.2 million	119,300	44,603	2.01	76.4
2034	projection	8,166,517	7.0–9.4 million	119,937	45,826	1.99	76.6
2035	projection	8,246,710	7.1–9.5 million	120,587	47,124	1.97	76.8
2036	projection	8,321,197	7.0–9.7 million	121,311	48,424	1.95	76.9
2037	projection	8,393,774	7.1–9.9 million	121,908	49,809	1.94	77.1
2038	projection	8,469,681	7.0–10.1 million	122,423	51,249	1.92	77.3
2039	projection	8,543,515	7.0–10.3 million	122,833	52,772	1.91	77.4
2040	projection	8,616,193	7.0–10.4 million	123,201	54,316	1.90	77.6
2041	projection	8,686,641	7.1–10.6 million	123,342	55,856	1.89	77.8
2042	projection	8,752,590	7.1–10.7 million	123,299	57,490	1.88	78.0
2043	projection	8,820,649	7.1–10.9 million	122,919	59,169	1.86	78.1
2044	projection	8,888,131	7.1–11.2 million	122,412	60,831	1.85	78.3
2045	projection	8,951,924	7.0–11.4 million	121,817	62,559	1.85	78.5
2046	projection	9,015,973	7.0–11.5 million	120,895	64,314	1.84	78.6
2047	projection	9,071,372	7.0–11.8 million	119,859	66,070	1.83	78.8
2048	projection	9,125,445	7.0–11.9 million	118,778	67,876	1.82	79.0
2049	projection	9,182,684	6.9–12.0 million	117,628	69,784	1.82	79.2
2050	projection	9,234,542	6.9–12.1 million	116,478	71,633	1.81	79.3
2051	projection	9,286,669	6.9–12.4 million	115,187	73,496	1.81	79.5
2052	projection	9,334,488	6.9–12.4 million	113,860	75,347	1.80	79.7
2053	projection	9,383,504	6.9–12.6 million	112,656	77,124	1.80	79.8
2054	projection	9,428,594	6.9–12.8 million	111,541	78,970	1.80	80.0
2055	projection	9,472,559	6.9–12.9 million	110,492	80,751	1.79	80.1
2056	projection	9,504,873	6.8–13.1 million	109,435	82,447	1.79	80.3
2057	projection	9,529,650	6.7–13.4 million	108,308	84,058	1.79	80.5
2058	projection	9,560,595	6.7–13.5 million	107,454	85,616	1.78	80.6
2059	projection	9,587,812	6.6–13.7 million	106,617	87,128	1.78	80.8
2060	projection	9,616,894	6.6–13.7 million	105,989	88,481	1.77	81.0
2061	projection	9,636,116	6.6–13.8 million	105,300	89,831	1.77	81.1
2062	projection	9,656,927	6.5–14.0 million	104,984	91,059	1.77	81.3
2063	projection	9,678,840	6.4–14.2 million	104,773	92,226	1.76	81.4
2064	projection	9,689,880	6.4–14.4 million	104,527	93,219	1.76	81.6
2065	projection	9,711,905	6.3–14.5 million	104,541	94,093	1.76	81.8
2066	projection	9,731,411	6.3–14.7 million	104,603	94,848	1.76	81.9
2067	projection	9,748,863	6.3–14.9 million	104,630	95,585	1.76	82.1
2068	projection	9,761,204	6.2–14.9 million	104,671	96,206	1.75	82.2
2069	projection	9,780,810	6.2–15.0 million	104,763	96,660	1.75	82.4
2070	projection	9,799,365	6.2–15.2 million	104,857	97,167	1.75	82.5
2071	projection	9,816,432	6.1–15.4 million	104,924	97,474	1.75	82.7
2072	projection	9,828,092	6.0–15.5 million	104,734	97,813	1.75	82.8
2073	projection	9,849,498	5.9–15.7 million	104,763	98,040	1.75	83.0
2074	projection	9,865,130	5.9–15.9 million	104,588	98,317	1.74	83.1
2075	projection	9,876,182	5.8–16.0 million	104,177	98,580	1.74	83.3
2076	projection	9,888,204	5.7–16.2 million	103,875	98,783	1.74	83.4
2077	projection	9,900,936	5.7–16.5 million	103,408	99,105	1.74	83.6
2078	projection	9,906,594	5.7–16.6 million	102,758	99,353	1.74	83.7
2079	projection	9,910,748	5.6–16.7 million	102,094	99,770	1.74	83.8
2080	projection	9,923,410	5.5–16.8 million	101,557	100,129	1.74	84.0
2081	projection	9,933,325	5.4–17.0 million	100,852	100,610	1.74	84.1
2082	projection	9,945,469	5.3–17.0 million	100,173	101,110	1.74	84.3
2083	projection	9,953,904	5.3–17.3 million	99,440	101,715	1.74	84.4
2084	projection	9,957,515	5.2–17.3 million	98,582	102,379	1.73	84.5
2085	projection	9,964,136	5.3–17.5 million	97,761	103,115	1.73	84.7
2086	projection	9,970,529	5.2–17.7 million	97,065	103,961	1.73	84.8
2087	projection	9,970,912	5.1–17.7 million	96,197	104,810	1.73	85.0
2088	projection	9,967,294	4.9–18.0 million	95,564	105,771	1.73	85.1
2089	projection	9,956,659	4.9–18.1 million	94,666	106,750	1.73	85.2
2090	projection	9,946,269	4.8–18.1 million	93,819	107,779	1.72	85.3
2091	projection	9,930,149	4.7–18.1 million	93,071	108,871	1.72	85.5
2092	projection	9,921,257	4.7–18.2 million	92,511	109,947	1.72	85.6
2093	projection	9,906,649	4.6–18.5 million	92,030	110,930	1.72	85.7
2094	projection	9,891,433	4.6–18.6 million	91,591	111,912	1.72	85.8
2095	projection	9,879,999	4.4–18.6 million	91,284	112,928	1.72	86.0
2096	projection	9,868,491	4.4–18.9 million	91,066	113,870	1.72	86.1
2097	projection	9,851,860	4.3–19.0 million	90,861	114,730	1.72	86.2
2098	projection	9,831,880	4.2–19.1 million	90,703	115,538	1.72	86.3
2099	projection	9,810,874	4.2–19.2 million	90,375	116,174	1.72	86.5
2100	projection	9,793,152	4.2–19.4 million	90,170	116,714	1.72	86.6

Show the numbers: Libya, mid-2026, by single year of age

Libya: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	61,008	57,721
1	61,524	58,175
2	62,343	58,991
3	63,502	60,146
4	64,878	61,460
5	66,174	62,694
6	67,176	63,657
7	68,134	64,577
8	69,251	65,657
9	70,466	66,821
10	71,618	67,920
11	72,656	68,921
12	72,445	68,736
13	71,049	67,430
14	72,629	68,852
15	73,950	70,040
16	71,892	68,137
17	70,726	66,959
18	70,636	66,612
19	70,404	66,000
20	69,466	65,049
21	67,800	63,934
22	65,899	62,478
23	63,842	60,627
24	61,854	58,838
25	60,092	57,324
26	58,659	56,202
27	57,571	55,354
28	56,598	54,496
29	55,642	53,502
30	54,823	52,550
31	54,139	51,748
32	53,538	51,000
33	53,114	50,421
34	52,964	50,218
35	53,088	50,408
36	53,352	50,796
37	53,649	51,169
38	53,892	51,448
39	54,090	51,606
40	54,646	52,109
41	54,821	52,392
42	54,462	51,899
43	55,482	52,612
44	57,184	54,082
45	57,936	54,537
46	58,029	54,768
47	57,000	54,310
48	55,591	52,986
49	54,148	51,992
50	52,234	50,823
51	50,409	48,832
52	48,745	47,264
53	47,192	45,974
54	45,482	43,858
55	43,294	41,950
56	40,762	40,766
57	37,398	38,476
58	33,904	34,874
59	31,405	32,074
60	29,236	30,201
61	27,090	28,326
62	25,242	26,479
63	23,778	24,894
64	21,742	22,724
65	19,872	20,940
66	18,626	19,734
67	16,626	17,615
68	14,381	15,396
69	12,607	13,752
70	10,882	12,422
71	9,540	11,358
72	8,468	10,508
73	8,135	10,465
74	8,261	10,327
75	8,118	9,874
76	7,505	9,200
77	6,338	8,076
78	5,283	7,008
79	4,614	6,295
80	4,238	6,011
81	3,987	5,553
82	3,669	4,557
83	3,476	3,750
84	2,836	3,142
85	2,186	2,834
86	1,930	2,656
87	1,530	2,075
88	1,209	1,637
89	988	1,376
90	756	1,110
91	544	841
92	386	630
93	268	462
94	178	324
95	115	218
96	73	142
97	44	91
98	27	56
99	15	33
100+	16	40

LBY · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Libya, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

LBY · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Libya

On the UN's projection, Libya will have the most working-age people it ever has in 2066: 6,248,150 people aged 15–64. In 2023 it had 4,906,530.

100 aged 15–64

42 children

7 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: the orange squares are 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023, and the rows below are how many children (teal) and how many people aged 65 or older (violet) lived alongside them.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 22 years: 2022–2043.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: the strip runs 1950 to 2100. Coloured years are the ones with under 50 dependants for every 100 people aged 15–64; grey years are the rest, and a hatched year has not happened yet.

How every country compares

LBY · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Libya, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 Libya loses 337 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 30–34, at 179 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 20 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: left to right is age, from babies to 100. Blue squares above the line are ages at which more people arrive than leave; orange squares below it, ages at which more leave than arrive. These are the UN's projection for 2020–2025. There is no record of migration by age before 2020.

Its best and worst years between 1950 and 2023: a gain of 69,211 (1981), and a loss of 562,827 (2011).

In 2024, 897,751 people living in Libya had been born in another country, 12 of every 100 people there, against 10 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

LBY · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Libya

Of every 100 babies born in Libya in 2023, 1 had a mother under 20, 69 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 30 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 8 under 20 and 17 aged 35 or older.

1950
8 · 75 · 17

2023
1 · 69 · 30

2050 · projected
1 · 67 · 32

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: each block is 100 babies born in that year, one square each, coloured by how old the mother was. The numbers under a block are the three groups, youngest mothers first.

Babies born, 2023: 124,371
Average age when women have a baby: 31.9 years; 29.9 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 6; 79 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in Libya by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	192	562	0	0	1	1
15–19	4,270	12,247	4,147	1,919	1,470	1,265
20–24	14,704	31,690	17,822	15,135	12,201	10,106
25–29	16,062	30,137	34,671	33,773	29,634	24,916
30–34	10,840	22,376	31,084	36,408	36,321	29,518
35–39	6,354	14,150	18,020	24,520	25,838	18,382
40–44	2,564	5,703	7,925	10,841	9,560	5,336
45–49	547	1,175	1,342	1,712	1,406	632
50–54	29	60	59	63	47	14
All babies	55,562	118,100	115,070	124,371	116,478	90,170

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

LBY · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in Libya

Of the 72.2 years a baby born in Libya in 2021 could expect, about 62.1 would be lived in full health (95% range 61.2–63.1). The years in less than full health come to 10.1, above the world's 9.5.

Women

62.5 in full health, 11.7 not: 74.2 years

Men

61.7 in full health, 8.5 not: 70.2 years

a year in full health a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 62.5 healthy years of 74.2. Men: 61.7 of 70.2. In 2019, before the pandemic, the healthy years were 63.4.

LBY · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Libya

At the end of 2025, Libya was hosting 658,477 people who had crossed a border into it, about 88 of every 1,000 people living there.

hosted from abroad658,477
displaced inside it32,791
Libya nationals abroad20,963

stayed inside their own country crossed a border

How to read this: count the squares — 20,000 people each, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from Libya living in another country, wherever they are.

In 2025, 1,076 people asked for asylum in Libya for the first time; 2,846 people from Libya asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from Libya whose claims were decided that year, 34 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

LBY · of every 100 people

How people live in Libya

Of every 100 people in Libya in 2025, 45 lived in a city, 31 in a town or suburb and 24 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

22.6 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 18 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: 100 squares, one for every 100th person, coloured by where they live, as the key says. The same rule is used in every country.

How the world's people live

LBY · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in Libya went in school

Of every 100 adults in Libya in 2020, 29 never went to school and 36 finished upper secondary or went further.

29 never went to school 7 some primary 15 finished primary 13 finished lower secondary 19 finished upper secondary 17 studied after school

Compare two generations. Aged 60–64, 49.4 of every 100 women and 44.9 of every 100 men never went to school; aged 25–29, 12.1 and 7.

Its people aged 15 to 64 are projected to be most numerous in 2065; the ones who finished upper secondary are most numerous later, in 2070.

How to read this: every adult here as one of 100 squares. The stronger the colour, the further that person went in school (the Wittgenstein Centre, 2020).

How far the world's people went in school

LBY · cities · 2025

Cities in Libya

Libya had 14 cities in 2025, home to 3.4 million people. The largest, Tripoli, holds 17 of every 100 people in Libya.

Tripoli1,239,823
Benghazi630,479
Misrata294,401
Al Zawiyah214,488
Sabha123,436
Tubruq121,983
Bayda119,135
Qabilat alturki118,313
Marj106,258
Sayyad102,973

How to read this: one bar for each of the 10 largest cities, 2025, all on the same scale. "City" here means the built-up area the UN measures, not the boundary the city draws itself.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for Libya are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.