Libya Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Libya is 7,559,873 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 7,381,023 in 2024.

Libya is ranked 105/197 by population and was ranked 104th in 2006.
Libya is projected to reach 10M people in 2087.
Libya accounts for 0.09% of the world's population.
Since 2006, population has increased from 5.98M people to 7.56M (26.4% growth in 20 years).
For the last 20 years, Libya has had an average growth rate of 1.32% per year.

Libya population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	9,844,478	-0.18%
2099	9,862,293	-0.21%
2098	9,883,409	-0.2%
2097	9,903,494	-0.17%
2096	9,920,212	-0.12%
2095	9,931,781	-0.12%
2094	9,943,275	-0.15%
2093	9,958,570	-0.15%
2092	9,973,255	-0.09%
2091	9,982,193	-0.16%
2090	9,998,398	-0.1%
2089	10,008,842	-0.11%
2088	10,019,533	-0.04%
2087	10,023,170	0.004%
2086	10,022,785	0.06%
2085	10,016,359	0.07%
2084	10,009,703	0.04%
2083	10,006,073	0.08%
2082	9,997,594	0.12%
2081	9,985,386	0.1%
2080	9,975,419	0.13%
2079	9,962,691	0.04%
2078	9,958,515	0.06%
2077	9,952,827	0.13%
2076	9,940,029	0.12%
2075	9,927,944	0.11%
2074	9,916,834	0.16%
2073	9,901,120	0.22%
2072	9,879,602	0.12%
2071	9,867,880	0.17%
2070	9,850,724	0.19%
2069	9,832,072	0.2%
2068	9,812,363	0.13%
2067	9,799,957	0.18%
2066	9,782,414	0.2%
2065	9,762,806	0.23%
2064	9,740,665	0.11%
2063	9,729,567	0.23%
2062	9,707,539	0.22%
2061	9,686,619	0.2%
2060	9,667,297	0.3%
2059	9,638,062	0.28%
2058	9,610,703	0.32%
2057	9,579,595	0.26%
2056	9,554,689	0.34%
2055	9,522,205	0.47%
2054	9,478,010	0.48%
2053	9,432,683	0.53%
2052	9,383,411	0.51%
2051	9,335,341	0.56%
2050	9,282,941	0.56%
2049	9,230,811	0.63%
2048	9,173,272	0.6%
2047	9,118,915	0.61%
2046	9,063,226	0.72%
2045	8,998,841	0.72%
2044	8,934,714	0.77%
2043	8,866,878	0.78%
2042	8,798,463	0.76%
2041	8,732,168	0.82%
2040	8,661,351	0.85%
2039	8,588,292	0.87%
2038	8,514,071	0.9%
2037	8,437,766	0.87%
2036	8,364,809	0.9%
2035	8,289,931	0.98%
2034	8,209,318	0.99%
2033	8,129,142	0.96%
2032	8,052,203	1.04%
2031	7,969,547	1.08%
2030	7,884,726	1.07%
2029	7,801,482	1.15%
2028	7,713,090	1.2%
2027	7,621,838	1.13%
2026	7,536,898	1.05%
2025	7,458,392	1.05%
2024	7,381,023	1.03%
2023	7,305,659	1.13%
2022	7,223,805	1.24%
2021	7,135,175	1.27%
2020	7,045,399	1.36%
2019	6,951,033	1.49%
2018	6,849,055	1.64%
2017	6,738,770	1.61%
2016	6,632,126	1.54%
2015	6,531,819	1.63%
2014	6,427,252	1.94%
2013	6,304,628	2.03%
2012	6,179,328	-2.58%
2011	6,343,203	-2.38%
2010	6,497,839	2.06%
2009	6,366,686	2.11%
2008	6,235,430	2.15%
2007	6,104,380	2.08%
2006	5,980,211	2.07%
2005	5,858,798	2.13%
2004	5,736,693	2.09%
2003	5,619,398	2.01%
2002	5,508,410	1.94%
2001	5,403,639	1.86%
2000	5,305,021	1.67%
1999	5,218,038	1.5%
1998	5,140,704	1.5%
1997	5,064,639	1.55%
1996	4,987,393	1.64%
1995	4,906,843	1.76%
1994	4,822,037	1.88%
1993	4,733,045	2%
1992	4,640,352	2.11%
1991	4,544,400	2.23%
1990	4,445,239	2.36%
1989	4,342,920	2.48%
1988	4,237,755	2.62%
1987	4,129,739	2.8%
1986	4,017,403	3.04%
1985	3,898,745	3.32%
1984	3,773,633	1.47%
1983	3,718,961	-0.16%
1982	3,724,765	2.85%
1981	3,621,486	5.76%
1980	3,424,378	5.89%
1979	3,233,846	5.94%
1978	3,052,526	5.93%
1977	2,881,533	5.89%
1976	2,721,237	5.82%
1975	2,571,556	5.73%
1974	2,432,211	5.1%
1973	2,314,193	3.96%
1972	2,226,091	3.37%
1971	2,153,534	3.41%
1970	2,082,589	3.39%
1969	2,014,293	3.15%
1968	1,952,781	2.88%
1967	1,898,199	2.66%
1966	1,849,063	2.5%
1965	1,804,015	2.87%
1964	1,753,691	3.74%
1963	1,690,457	4.22%
1962	1,621,960	4.26%
1961	1,555,699	4.21%
1960	1,492,890	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/libya | CC BY

Libya has a population of 7.56M as of 2026, compared to 6.63M in 2016, 5.98M in 2006, and 4.99M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.4% per year. Libya is ranked 88th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Libya will have 9,063,226 people (19.9% growth) and still will be ranked 105th.

By the year 2100, Libya's population is projected to grow by 30.2% from its current level to 9.84M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-172
2024	-	-	3,448
2023	73,759	75,760	-2,001
2022	89,950	91,951	-2,001
2021	87,311	88,005	-694
2020	92,256	92,950	-694
2019	96,490	97,842	-1,352
2018	107,460	101,619	5,841
2017	113,099	103,891	9,208
2016	100,184	105,265	-5,081
2015	100,436	108,096	-7,660
2014	108,704	110,420	-1,716
2013	136,527	110,772	25,755
2012	114,066	108,855	5,211
2011	-441,811	121,016	-562,827
2010	132,537	122,926	9,611
2009	129,772	118,102	11,670
2008	132,741	117,481	15,260
2007	129,344	116,704	12,640
2006	118,996	115,645	3,351
2005	123,847	112,823	11,024
2004	120,366	107,144	13,222
2003	114,217	102,144	12,073
2002	107,750	97,598	10,152
2001	101,790	93,370	8,420
2000	95,448	89,814	5,634
1999	78,537	88,743	-10,206
1998	76,134	87,613	-11,479
1997	75,992	86,899	-10,907
1996	78,499	86,945	-8,446
1995	82,593	87,661	-5,068
1994	87,010	88,765	-1,755
1993	90,979	90,553	426
1992	94,411	93,568	843
1991	97,484	96,582	902
1990	100,844	99,898	946
1989	103,804	102,823	981
1988	106,522	105,469	1,053
1987	109,501	107,761	1,740
1986	115,169	109,325	5,844
1985	122,156	110,194	11,962
1984	128,067	110,028	18,039
1983	-18,721	122,183	-140,904
1982	7,111	133,511	-126,400
1981	199,444	130,233	69,211
1980	194,773	128,034	66,739
1979	186,290	121,469	64,821
1978	176,353	114,669	61,684
1977	165,636	107,769	57,867
1976	154,959	101,146	53,813
1975	144,406	94,862	49,544
1974	134,283	89,337	44,946
1973	101,754	81,256	20,498
1972	74,446	77,864	-3,418
1971	70,669	74,934	-4,265
1970	71,233	70,488	745
1969	65,364	66,782	-1,418
1968	57,648	63,971	-6,323
1967	51,505	61,889	-10,384
1966	46,775	60,394	-13,619
1965	43,324	59,134	-15,810
1964	57,311	55,227	2,084
1963	69,161	50,421	18,740
1962	67,841	46,252	21,589
1961	64,671	42,167	22,504
1960	60,950	38,391	22,559

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/libya | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 99.4% of the population change in Libya is from natural causes (a gain of 975,799 people) and 0.63% is from migration (a loss of 6,150 people).

As of 2024, 897,751 residents or 12.2% of the population were not native-born in Libya, compared to 687,192 and 10.6% in 2010.

Libya population clock

	Libya	Rank
Current population	7559873	105/197
Percent of world population	0.09%	105/197
One net population change	6.97 minutes	99/197
One birth every	4.23 minutes	101/196
One death every	10.8 minutes	105/196
Daily growth/decline	+206	99/197
Annual growth/decline	+75,364	99/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.03%	99/197
One migration net change every	2.13 days	83/196
Annual migration change	-172	83/196
Foreign-born residents	897,751	63/195
Foreign-born share of population	12.2%	56/195

Largest cities by population

Libya
City	Population
Tripoli	1.29M
Misrata	881K
Benghazi	632K
Ajdabiya	416K
Al-Khums	202K
Zawiya	199K
Tobruk	136K
Gharyan	123K
Sabratha	102K
Sabha	99K

Libya population statistics

	Libya	World
Life expectancy	75.2 years	73.8 years
Average age	30.7 years	33.8 years
Median age	28.5 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50.8:49.2	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	2.36 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	11.1 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Libya.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/libya | CC BY