Military expenditure in Libya
Libya: Military expenditure was 5.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
5.3%
Change on year
up 21.6%
World rank
12th
of 164 countries
All-time high
15.5%
in 2014
All-time low
0.9%
in 2007
Years of data
40
1960–2023
Military expenditure in Libya, 1960–2023
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, military expenditure in Libya stood at 5.3%.
That represents a change of up 21.6% on the previous year and down 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Libya peaked at 15.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2007.
Libya ranks 12th of 164 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure in Libya, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.6% | — |
| 1961 | 1.9% | +16.5% |
| 1962 | 3.1% | +67.3% |
| 1963 | 2.4% | -22.4% |
| 1964 | 1.8% | -23.4% |
| 1965 | 1.9% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 2.9% | +57.0% |
| 1967 | 3.4% | +15.3% |
| 1968 | 2.9% | -15.0% |
| 1969 | 3.8% | +31.8% |
| 1970 | 6.1% | +61.4% |
| 1971 | 5.3% | -12.4% |
| 1972 | 3.7% | -30.3% |
| 1973 | 4.0% | +7.4% |
| 1974 | 3.3% | -17.4% |
| 1975 | 2.3% | -31.5% |
| 1976 | 2.0% | -12.7% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | +25.2% |
| 1978 | 3.8% | +54.2% |
| 1979 | 3.2% | -15.2% |
| 1980 | 2.9% | -9.3% |
| 1981 | 1.8% | -39.9% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | +27.7% |
| 1997 | 4.1% | +82.0% |
| 1998 | 5.3% | +29.9% |
| 1999 | 3.8% | -28.6% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | -16.8% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | -23.3% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | -14.3% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 2.1% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -26.2% |
| 2006 | 1.1% | -26.7% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | -15.5% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | +57.4% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | +151.4% |
| 2013 | 7.6% | +104.0% |
| 2014 | 15.5% | +102.6% |
| 2022 | 4.3% | -71.9% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | +21.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 1.6% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 2.0% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.9% | 3 |
| 1990s | 4.4% | 3.8% | 5.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 0.9% | 3.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 9.0% | 3.7% | 15.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More public sector data for Libya
- Arms imports 5.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.6774 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -85.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 5.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 215.41 current USD per person (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0357 current USD per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 29.54 % change on previous year (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.57 billion current USD (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 19.32 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Libya?
- Military expenditure in Libya was 5.3% in 2023, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 15.5% in 2014.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2007.
- How does Libya rank for military expenditure?
- Libya ranks 12th out of 164 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product