Trade (% of GDP) in Libya
Libya: Trade (% of GDP) was 137.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Trade in Libya, 1990–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for trade in Libya is 137.7%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 141.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in Libya peaked at 164.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 34.8%, in 1999.
Libya ranks 32nd of 193 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Trade (% of GDP) in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 70.8% | — |
| 1991 | 64.6% | -8.8% |
| 1992 | 56.1% | -13.2% |
| 1993 | 59.8% | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 53.2% | -11.1% |
| 1995 | 51.6% | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 52.5% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 48.6% | -7.4% |
| 1998 | 40.3% | -17.2% |
| 1999 | 34.8% | -13.5% |
| 2000 | 45.3% | +30.1% |
| 2001 | 43.2% | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 78.9% | +82.7% |
| 2003 | 90.6% | +14.9% |
| 2004 | 96.1% | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 90.9% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 97.7% | +7.6% |
| 2007 | 102.7% | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 103.2% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 107.6% | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 98.1% | -8.9% |
| 2011 | 63.0% | -35.8% |
| 2012 | 98.2% | +55.9% |
| 2013 | 106.3% | +8.3% |
| 2014 | 76.5% | -28.0% |
| 2015 | 56.9% | -25.6% |
| 2016 | 41.1% | -27.8% |
| 2017 | 47.5% | +15.7% |
| 2018 | 63.8% | +34.1% |
| 2019 | 79.0% | +23.9% |
| 2020 | 51.0% | -35.5% |
| 2021 | 164.3% | +222.3% |
| 2022 | 156.3% | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 161.1% | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 137.5% | -14.6% |
| 2025 | 137.7% | +0.1% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 137.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 79.9%, 1.7× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Libya's 137.7% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 83.8%, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Trade (% of GDP) in Libya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +222.3% | 51.0% | 164.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 53.2% | 34.8% | 70.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.6% | 43.2% | 107.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.1% | 41.1% | 106.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 134.6% | 51.0% | 164.3% | 6 |
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)
- 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)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0332 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in Libya?
- Trade in Libya was 137.7% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest trade recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 164.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest trade recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.8% in 1999.
- How does Libya rank for trade?
- Libya ranks 32nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 141.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.