Military spending as a share of GDP in Libya
Libya: Military spending as a share of GDP was 3.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
3.6%
Change on year
up 27.4%
World rank
21st
of 166 countries
All-time high
6.5%
in 2014
All-time low
0.9%
in 2007
Years of data
40
1960–2023
Military spending as a share of GDP in Libya, 1960–2023
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, military spending as a share of gdp in Libya stood at 3.6%.
The figure is up 27.4% on the previous year and down 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Libya peaked at 6.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2007.
Libya ranks 21st of 166 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.6% | — |
| 1961 | 1.9% | +16.5% |
| 1962 | 3.1% | +67.3% |
| 1963 | 2.4% | -22.4% |
| 1964 | 1.8% | -23.4% |
| 1965 | 1.9% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 2.9% | +57.0% |
| 1967 | 3.4% | +15.3% |
| 1968 | 2.9% | -15.0% |
| 1969 | 3.8% | +31.8% |
| 1970 | 6.1% | +61.4% |
| 1971 | 5.3% | -12.4% |
| 1972 | 3.7% | -30.3% |
| 1973 | 4.0% | +7.4% |
| 1974 | 3.3% | -17.4% |
| 1975 | 2.3% | -31.5% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | -12.7% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | +25.2% |
| 1978 | 3.8% | +54.2% |
| 1979 | 3.2% | -15.2% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | -17.0% |
| 1981 | 1.6% | -39.9% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | +27.7% |
| 1997 | 4.0% | +95.7% |
| 1998 | 4.7% | +16.4% |
| 1999 | 3.1% | -33.5% |
| 2000 | 2.7% | -11.5% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | -15.3% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | -8.0% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | -5.8% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | -29.7% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | -27.7% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | -8.1% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +35.0% |
| 2012 | 3.2% | +154.5% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | +63.0% |
| 2014 | 6.5% | +24.4% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -57.2% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | +27.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 1.6% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 2.0% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.1% | 1.6% | 2.7% | 3 |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 3.1% | 4.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 0.9% | 2.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 3.2% | 6.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.8% | 3.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More economy & growth data for Libya
- 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)
- Services, value added (constant LCU), per capita 4,858 constant LCU per person (2025)
- GDP deflator (base year varies by country), annual growth rate -3.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth -3.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.02 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 6,556 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 6.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 5.39 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 34,780 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Libya?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Libya was 3.6% in 2023, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 2014.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2007.
- How does Libya rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Libya ranks 21st out of 166 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.