Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Libya
Libya: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 38.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Libya, 1960–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Libya is 38.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 43.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Libya peaked at 42.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2000.
That places Libya 72nd out of 201 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Libya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 35.7% | — |
| 1961 | 28.8% | -19.1% |
| 1962 | 27.8% | -3.7% |
| 1963 | 22.9% | -17.6% |
| 1964 | 19.2% | -16.3% |
| 1965 | 15.7% | -18.3% |
| 1966 | 15.4% | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 15.7% | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 15.0% | -4.6% |
| 1969 | 13.8% | -7.8% |
| 1970 | 10.8% | -21.8% |
| 1971 | 11.9% | +10.4% |
| 1972 | 14.7% | +22.9% |
| 1973 | 17.4% | +18.9% |
| 1974 | 15.7% | -10.1% |
| 1975 | 20.7% | +32.1% |
| 1976 | 14.2% | -31.6% |
| 1977 | 14.4% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 17.8% | +23.6% |
| 1979 | 14.6% | -17.9% |
| 1980 | 13.9% | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 19.7% | +41.4% |
| 1982 | 20.8% | +5.7% |
| 1983 | 19.7% | -5.3% |
| 1984 | 20.8% | +5.1% |
| 1985 | 15.3% | -26.2% |
| 1986 | 13.5% | -11.7% |
| 1987 | 14.3% | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 20.6% | +44.0% |
| 1989 | 15.5% | -24.9% |
| 1990 | 18.8% | +21.8% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | -13.3% |
| 1992 | 14.8% | -9.5% |
| 1993 | 17.6% | +18.9% |
| 1994 | 14.8% | -16.0% |
| 1995 | 19.4% | +31.6% |
| 1996 | 19.4% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 18.0% | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 20.5% | +14.0% |
| 1999 | 11.8% | -42.5% |
| 2000 | 5.3% | -55.2% |
| 2001 | 6.5% | +22.9% |
| 2002 | 13.0% | +100.5% |
| 2003 | 11.9% | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 12.0% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | -25.7% |
| 2006 | 8.2% | -7.2% |
| 2007 | 8.7% | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 8.3% | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 17.7% | +113.2% |
| 2010 | 33.1% | +87.0% |
| 2011 | 15.7% | -52.6% |
| 2012 | 25.1% | +60.4% |
| 2013 | 39.2% | +55.7% |
| 2014 | 35.8% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 26.8% | -25.2% |
| 2016 | 21.0% | -21.6% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | -34.2% |
| 2018 | 17.6% | +27.5% |
| 2019 | 21.8% | +23.9% |
| 2020 | 23.7% | +8.6% |
| 2021 | 42.5% | +79.3% |
| 2022 | 37.3% | -12.2% |
| 2023 | 41.3% | +10.8% |
| 2024 | 38.3% | -7.4% |
| 2025 | 38.5% | +0.6% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 38.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 38.0%, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Libya's 38.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 27.2%, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.0% | 13.8% | 35.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.2% | 10.8% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.4% | 13.5% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 11.8% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 5.3% | 17.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.0% | 13.8% | 39.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.9% | 23.7% | 42.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More economy & growth data for Libya
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -240.99 % change on previous year (2019)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.094 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 605.92 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0686 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 442.44 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Libya?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Libya was 38.5% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 42.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2000.
- How does Libya rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Libya ranks 72nd out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).