Employment to population ratio in Libya
Libya: Employment to population ratio was 38.97 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
38.97
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
167th
of 186 countries
All-time high
39.98
in 2018
All-time low
36.17
in 2020
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in Libya, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio in Libya stood at 38.97.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in Libya peaked at 39.98 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 36.17, in 2020.
Libya ranks 167th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio in Libya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 37.09 | — |
| 1992 | 37 | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 36.95 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 36.86 | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 36.93 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 37.09 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 37.25 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 37.4 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 37.58 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 37.59 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 37.51 | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 37.46 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 37.59 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 37.72 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 37.94 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 38.14 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 38.55 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 38.79 | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 39.04 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 39.38 | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 39.47 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 39.8 | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 39.79 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 39.87 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 39.67 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 39.72 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 39.93 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 39.98 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 39.81 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 36.17 | -9.1% |
| 2021 | 36.47 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 39.35 | +7.9% |
| 2023 | 39.43 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 39.05 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 38.97 | -0.2% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 38.97 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.68, 70% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Libya's 38.97 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 38.97, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.13 | 36.86 | 37.58 | 9 |
| 2000s | 38.03 | 37.46 | 39.04 | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.74 | 39.38 | 39.98 | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.24 | 36.17 | 39.43 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 164 Turkmenistan 40.24 compare
- 165 Puerto Rico 40.22 compare
- 166 Morocco 39.99 compare
- 168 Lebanon 38.65 compare
- 169 Tunisia 38.39 compare
- 170 South Africa 37.58 compare
More work & labour data for Libya
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1881 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1642 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.213 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.54 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.4664 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,184 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 939.57 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,815 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,969 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 9,784 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio in Libya?
- Employment to population ratio in Libya was 38.97 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 39.98 in 2018.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.17 in 2020.
- How does Libya rank for employment to population ratio?
- Libya ranks 167th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).