Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Libya
Libya: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 87.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
87.9%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
48th
of 236 countries
All-time high
88.2%
in 2006
All-time low
22.2%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Libya, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Libya is 87.9%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Libya peaked at 88.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 22.2%, in 1950.
That places Libya 48th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Libya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 22.2% | — |
| 1951 | 22.3% | +0.2% |
| 1952 | 22.3% | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 22.4% | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 22.5% | +0.4% |
| 1955 | 22.5% | +0.1% |
| 1956 | 22.6% | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 22.7% | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 22.8% | +0.7% |
| 1959 | 23.0% | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 23.3% | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 23.5% | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 23.9% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 24.2% | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 24.6% | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 25.7% | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 28.2% | +9.8% |
| 1967 | 31.8% | +12.8% |
| 1968 | 36.2% | +13.7% |
| 1969 | 41.0% | +13.2% |
| 1970 | 45.8% | +11.8% |
| 1971 | 50.4% | +10.0% |
| 1972 | 54.3% | +7.8% |
| 1973 | 57.3% | +5.5% |
| 1974 | 59.6% | +3.9% |
| 1975 | 61.7% | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 63.7% | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 65.6% | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 67.4% | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 69.0% | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 70.5% | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 71.9% | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 73.2% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 74.3% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 75.3% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 76.2% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 77.1% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 78.0% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 78.9% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 79.7% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 80.6% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 81.4% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 82.2% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 82.9% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 83.6% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 84.3% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 84.9% | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 85.5% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 86.0% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 86.5% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 87.0% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 87.3% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 87.6% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 87.9% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 88.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 88.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 88.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 88.2% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 88.1% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 88.1% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 88.1% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 88.1% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 88.1% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 88.0% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 88.0% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 87.8% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 87.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 87.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 87.9% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 87.9% | +0.0% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 87.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 1.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Libya's 87.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 79.5%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 22.5% | 22.2% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 28.2% | 23.3% | 41.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 59.5% | 45.8% | 69.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 75.5% | 70.5% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 83.8% | 80.6% | 86.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 87.9% | 87.0% | 88.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 87.9% | 87.8% | 88.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.9% | 87.8% | 87.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More population data for Libya
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3412 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1882 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 455,012 people (2100)
- Population density 5.56 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2302 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.9554 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Libya?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Libya was 87.9% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 88.2% in 2006.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.2% in 1950.
- How does Libya rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Libya ranks 48th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.