Armed forces personnel in Libya
Libya: Armed forces personnel was 0.0% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Libya, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Libya stood at 0.0%. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Libya peaked at 7.3% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2014.
That places Libya 169th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7.3% | — |
| 1991 | 7.0% | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 6.7% | -4.9% |
| 1993 | 6.4% | -3.8% |
| 1994 | 5.8% | -9.4% |
| 1995 | 5.6% | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 4.4% | -21.5% |
| 1997 | 4.3% | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 4.0% | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 4.6% | +13.8% |
| 2001 | 4.5% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 4.1% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 3.9% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 3.8% | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 3.6% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -90.5% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0% | — |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 0.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%. (48 countries reporting)
- Libya's 0.0% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.1%. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | -100.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | -90.5% | 3.5% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.6% | 4.0% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 3.5% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More public sector data for Libya
- Democracy, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2018)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2018)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2018)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2018)
- Democracy 0 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Libya?
- Armed forces personnel in Libya was 0.0% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 7.3% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2014.
- How does Libya rank for armed forces personnel?
- Libya ranks 169th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.