Birth rate in Libya
Libya: Birth rate was 17.02 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
17.02 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
94th
of 236 countries
All-time high
51.27 births per 1,000 people
in 1959
All-time low
17.02 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Libya, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2023, birth rate in Libya stood at 17.02 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 24.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Libya peaked at 51.27 births per 1,000 people in 1959 and was at its lowest, 17.02 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Libya 94th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Birth rate in Libya, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.11 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 49.29 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1952 | 49.47 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1953 | 50.01 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1954 | 50.44 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1955 | 50.7 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1956 | 50.88 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1957 | 51.08 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 51.23 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 51.27 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 51.27 births per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1961 | 51.15 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 51.02 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1963 | 50.99 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 51.05 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 51.1 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 49.69 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 1967 | 48.33 births per 1,000 people | -2.7% |
| 1968 | 47.3 births per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 46.6 births per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 46.37 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 46.49 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 45.94 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 45.34 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 46.3 births per 1,000 people | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 45.93 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 45.69 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 45.48 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 45.22 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 44.85 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1980 | 44.35 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 42.57 births per 1,000 people | -4.0% |
| 1982 | 42.27 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 38.96 births per 1,000 people | -7.8% |
| 1984 | 34.84 births per 1,000 people | -10.6% |
| 1985 | 33.69 births per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 32.4 births per 1,000 people | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 31.09 births per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 1988 | 29.73 births per 1,000 people | -4.4% |
| 1989 | 28.37 births per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 27.04 births per 1,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1991 | 25.72 births per 1,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1992 | 24.53 births per 1,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1993 | 23.44 births per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 22.69 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 22.15 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 21.76 births per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 21.58 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 21.58 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 21.66 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 21.69 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 22.06 births per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 22.5 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 22.92 births per 1,000 people | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 23.38 births per 1,000 people | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 23.9 births per 1,000 people | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 23.93 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 23.71 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 23.44 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 23.16 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 23.55 births per 1,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 24.91 births per 1,000 people | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 22.59 births per 1,000 people | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 22.54 births per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 22.62 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 21.92 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 21.25 births per 1,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 20.51 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 19.84 births per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 19.24 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 18.74 births per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 18.18 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 17.54 births per 1,000 people | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 17.02 births per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 17.02 births per 1,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.97 births per 1,000 people, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Libya's 17.02 births per 1,000 people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 17.02 births per 1,000 people, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 50.35 births per 1,000 people | 49.11 births per 1,000 people | 51.27 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 49.85 births per 1,000 people | 46.6 births per 1,000 people | 51.27 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 45.76 births per 1,000 people | 44.85 births per 1,000 people | 46.49 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 35.83 births per 1,000 people | 28.37 births per 1,000 people | 44.35 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.21 births per 1,000 people | 21.58 births per 1,000 people | 27.04 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.07 births per 1,000 people | 21.69 births per 1,000 people | 23.93 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.9 births per 1,000 people | 19.24 births per 1,000 people | 24.91 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.87 births per 1,000 people | 17.02 births per 1,000 people | 18.74 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 91 Guam 17.66 births per 1,000 people compare
- 92 Suriname 17.3 births per 1,000 people compare
- 93 Saint Martin (French part) 17.07 births per 1,000 people compare
- 95 Oman 16.85 births per 1,000 people compare
- 96 Morocco 16.7 births per 1,000 people compare
- 97 Myanmar 16.7 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for Libya
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1882 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.49 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1882 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3412 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 8,540 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.9554 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2302 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 5.56 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 455,012 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Libya?
- Birth rate in Libya was 17.02 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 51.27 births per 1,000 people in 1959.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.02 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Libya rank for birth rate?
- Libya ranks 94th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.