Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in Libya
Libya: Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World was 0.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in Libya, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Libya is 0.2%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is down 75.8% on the previous year and down 98.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Libya peaked at 21.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2023.
That places Libya 173rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.4% | — |
| 1961 | 3.1% | -10.4% |
| 1962 | 2.8% | -7.9% |
| 1963 | 2.6% | -7.8% |
| 1964 | 3.3% | +25.1% |
| 1965 | 3.5% | +6.5% |
| 1966 | 5.6% | +61.7% |
| 1967 | 4.8% | -13.7% |
| 1968 | 5.3% | +9.0% |
| 1969 | 3.9% | -26.4% |
| 1970 | 8.1% | +108.9% |
| 1971 | 8.3% | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 6.9% | -16.8% |
| 1973 | 7.3% | +5.7% |
| 1974 | 6.1% | -15.9% |
| 1975 | 4.8% | -21.5% |
| 1976 | 1.4% | -70.5% |
| 1977 | 1.8% | +27.2% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +22.5% |
| 1979 | 1.4% | -35.9% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | -51.0% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | +76.1% |
| 1982 | 1.8% | +45.9% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | -39.2% |
| 1984 | 2.1% | +91.6% |
| 1985 | 1.5% | -26.7% |
| 1986 | 1.6% | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 3.2% | +103.3% |
| 1988 | 3.5% | +8.2% |
| 1989 | 5.9% | +69.7% |
| 1990 | 6.2% | +6.3% |
| 1991 | 9.0% | +44.4% |
| 1992 | 11.8% | +30.6% |
| 1993 | 9.5% | -19.3% |
| 1994 | 10.5% | +11.2% |
| 1995 | 11.4% | +8.5% |
| 1996 | 8.4% | -26.5% |
| 1997 | 9.5% | +12.8% |
| 1998 | 9.0% | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 12.7% | +41.9% |
| 2000 | 7.9% | -38.2% |
| 2001 | 7.9% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 8.0% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 8.2% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 8.5% | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 9.3% | +9.3% |
| 2006 | 11.0% | +17.5% |
| 2007 | 13.4% | +22.3% |
| 2008 | 8.1% | -39.8% |
| 2009 | 10.6% | +32.0% |
| 2010 | 18.7% | +76.0% |
| 2011 | 18.8% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 18.6% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 18.7% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 19.0% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 19.9% | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 21.3% | +6.8% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | -13.2% |
| 2018 | 21.4% | +15.7% |
| 2019 | 18.7% | -12.7% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | -45.4% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | -49.2% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -82.9% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -75.8% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 0.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.1%, 20% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Libya's 0.2% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 12.9%, 2% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 2.6% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.8% | 1.4% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 0.7% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.8% | 6.2% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.3% | 7.9% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.4% | 18.5% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | 0.2% | 10.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More private sector data for Libya
- Merchandise trade 102.7% (2025)
- Food imports 21.6% (2019)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Libya?
- Merchandise imports from economies in the arab world in Libya was 0.2% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from economies in the arab world recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 21.4% in 2018.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from economies in the arab world recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2023.
- How does Libya rank for merchandise imports from economies in the arab world?
- Libya ranks 173rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from economies in the arab world rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 98.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from economies in the Arab World. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.