Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Libya
Libya: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside was 48.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Libya, 1960–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise imports.
Analysis
Libya recorded 48.4% for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in 2023. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.1% on the previous year and up 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Libya peaked at 48.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 1962.
That places Libya 14th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.4% | — |
| 1961 | 4.0% | +18.3% |
| 1962 | 1.9% | -52.2% |
| 1963 | 3.4% | +78.8% |
| 1964 | 2.6% | -23.1% |
| 1965 | 3.9% | +49.1% |
| 1966 | 3.4% | -12.7% |
| 1967 | 4.1% | +20.8% |
| 1968 | 3.9% | -5.1% |
| 1969 | 5.6% | +44.6% |
| 1970 | 5.7% | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 6.7% | +16.9% |
| 1972 | 6.3% | -5.1% |
| 1973 | 5.0% | -20.9% |
| 1974 | 6.0% | +20.0% |
| 1975 | 5.6% | -6.2% |
| 1976 | 5.7% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 4.6% | -19.8% |
| 1978 | 5.2% | +15.0% |
| 1979 | 3.7% | -29.9% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | -20.2% |
| 1981 | 3.7% | +27.5% |
| 1982 | 6.8% | +81.3% |
| 1983 | 5.0% | -26.2% |
| 1984 | 5.1% | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 3.6% | -29.9% |
| 1986 | 5.6% | +56.0% |
| 1987 | 5.4% | -4.1% |
| 1988 | 6.5% | +20.8% |
| 1989 | 7.8% | +20.5% |
| 1990 | 11.0% | +39.6% |
| 1991 | 12.4% | +13.4% |
| 1992 | 11.1% | -10.9% |
| 1993 | 10.2% | -7.8% |
| 1994 | 10.0% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 10.7% | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 11.2% | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 10.1% | -9.5% |
| 1998 | 8.5% | -16.0% |
| 1999 | 9.0% | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 32.8% | +262.9% |
| 2001 | 32.8% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 32.6% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 32.4% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 31.9% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 28.7% | -7.0% |
| 2007 | 26.8% | -6.7% |
| 2008 | 32.0% | +19.6% |
| 2009 | 35.1% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 40.4% | +15.0% |
| 2011 | 40.6% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 40.1% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 39.2% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 37.5% | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 33.5% | -10.6% |
| 2016 | 28.0% | -16.5% |
| 2017 | 28.8% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 28.9% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 36.9% | +27.5% |
| 2020 | 40.2% | +8.8% |
| 2021 | 42.8% | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 41.7% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 48.4% | +16.1% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 48.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 20.2%, 2.4× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Libya's 48.4% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.3%, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +262.9% | 9.0% | 32.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.6% | 1.9% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.5% | 3.7% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.3% | 2.9% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.4% | 8.5% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.6% | 26.8% | 35.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.4% | 28.0% | 40.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.3% | 40.2% | 48.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 11 Chad 50.1% compare
- 12 Tanzania, United Republic of 49.4% compare
- 13 Iran, Islamic Republic of 48.5% compare
- 15 United States of America 47.4% compare
- 16 Niger 46.4% compare
- 17 Madagascar 45.7% compare
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 low- and middle-income economies outside in Libya?
- Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside in Libya was 48.4% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 48.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 1962.
- How does Libya rank for merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside?
- Libya ranks 14th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.4%. 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 low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from other low- and middle-income economies in other World Bank regions according to the World Bank classification of economies. 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.