Food imports in Libya
Libya: Food imports was 21.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Food imports in Libya, 1962–2019
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for food imports in Libya is 21.6%, measured in 2019.
The figure is down 17.8% on the previous year and up 83.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food imports in Libya peaked at 32.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 11.7%, in 1962.
Libya ranks 46th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Food imports in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 11.7% | — |
| 1963 | 13.9% | +18.2% |
| 1964 | 15.5% | +12.0% |
| 1965 | 13.8% | -11.2% |
| 1966 | 15.6% | +13.4% |
| 1967 | 18.2% | +16.5% |
| 1968 | 13.8% | -24.4% |
| 1969 | 14.2% | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 22.6% | +59.3% |
| 1971 | 22.3% | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 16.7% | -25.0% |
| 1973 | 17.9% | +7.1% |
| 1974 | 17.3% | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 17.1% | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 14.8% | -13.6% |
| 1977 | 18.7% | +26.5% |
| 1978 | 16.6% | -11.2% |
| 1979 | 16.7% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 19.3% | +15.3% |
| 1981 | 18.1% | -6.0% |
| 1982 | 16.0% | -11.8% |
| 1983 | 18.0% | +12.4% |
| 1984 | 16.1% | -10.4% |
| 1985 | 17.3% | +7.7% |
| 1986 | 20.3% | +17.1% |
| 1987 | 18.0% | -11.3% |
| 2003 | 17.0% | -5.4% |
| 2004 | 16.8% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 16.4% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 11.8% | -28.2% |
| 2010 | 12.2% | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 32.9% | +170.4% |
| 2017 | 31.5% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 26.3% | -16.5% |
| 2019 | 21.6% | -17.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.6% | 11.7% | 18.2% | 8 |
| 1970s | 18.1% | 14.8% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.9% | 16.0% | 20.3% | 8 |
| 2000s | 15.6% | 11.8% | 17.0% | 5 |
| 2010s | 24.9% | 12.2% | 32.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More private sector data for Libya
- Merchandise trade 102.7% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 62.7% (2019)
- Merchandise imports 19.31 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 0.1% (2019)
- Manufactures exports 0.6% (2019)
- Merchandise exports 30.09 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 4,034 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6255 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -0.3511 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 2,589 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food imports in Libya?
- Food imports in Libya was 21.6% in 2019, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food imports recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 32.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest food imports recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7% in 1962.
- How does Libya rank for food imports?
- Libya ranks 46th out of 196 countries with data for 2019.
- Is food imports rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 83.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food imports (% of merchandise imports). 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
Food comprises the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.