Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Libya
Libya: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 18.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
18.1%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
159th
of 214 countries
All-time high
50.3%
in 1970
All-time low
18.1%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Libya, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Libya recorded 18.1% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Libya peaked at 50.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 18.1%, in 2024.
Libya ranks 159th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 50.3% | — |
| 1971 | 47.0% | -6.6% |
| 1972 | 43.7% | -7.0% |
| 1973 | 40.5% | -7.4% |
| 1974 | 38.8% | -4.2% |
| 1975 | 37.2% | -4.0% |
| 1976 | 35.7% | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 34.2% | -4.2% |
| 1978 | 32.7% | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 31.3% | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 29.9% | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 28.5% | -4.5% |
| 1982 | 27.2% | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 25.9% | -4.7% |
| 1984 | 24.7% | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 24.6% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 24.5% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 24.4% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 24.4% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 24.3% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 24.3% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 24.2% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 24.2% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 24.1% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 24.1% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 24.0% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 24.0% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 23.9% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 23.8% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 23.7% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 23.6% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 23.5% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 23.4% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 23.2% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 23.1% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 22.9% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 22.7% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 22.6% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 22.4% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 21.9% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 21.7% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 21.5% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 21.2% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 21.0% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 20.7% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 20.5% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 20.2% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 19.9% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 19.6% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 19.3% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 19.0% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 18.7% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 18.4% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 18.1% | -1.6% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 18.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 34.5%, 52% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Libya's 18.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 21.3%, 85% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.1% | 31.3% | 50.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.9% | 24.3% | 29.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.0% | 23.7% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.0% | 22.2% | 23.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.8% | 19.6% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 18.1% | 19.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Libya
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)
- Population growth rate -0.196 (2100)
- Population density 5.56 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 455,012 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Libya?
- Rural population in Libya was 18.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 50.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.1% in 2024.
- How does Libya rank for rural population?
- Libya ranks 159th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release