Lebanon: Net foreign assets (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2017, Lebanon's net foreign assets (current LCU) rose 5% on 2016 (from 49.12 trillion to 51.57 trillion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2016), the average change was +31.8% and a typical year strayed about 86.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 445.2% in 1987 and the biggest yearly fall was 16.1% in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2008 to 2017 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

Closest to Lebanon in the 2017 ranking

• Saudi Arabia — 2nd of 2: 2 trillion

What this measures

Net foreign assets are the sum of foreign assets held by monetary authorities and deposit money banks, less their foreign liabilities. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

All 58 values

Net foreign assets (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 871.66 billion (2020)
• Algeria — 9.11 trillion (2025)
• Bahrain — 1.34 billion (2015)
• Djibouti — 281.4 billion (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 1.11 trillion (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 2,473.74 trillion (2016)
• Iraq — 167.41 trillion (2024)
• Israel — 883.57 billion (2025)
• Jordan — 15.24 billion (2025)
• Kuwait — 28.58 billion (2025)
• Libya

More financial sector data for Lebanon

• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$89,500 (2025)
• Claims on central government (annual growth as % of broad money) — -21.28% (2018)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 160.19 trillion (2017)
• Broad money (current LCU) — 208.34 trillion (2017)
• Claims on private sector (annual growth as % of broad money) — 2.5% (2017)
• Broad money (annual % growth) — 4.21% (2017)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$89,500 (2025)
• Deposit interest rate (%) — 9.7% (2019)
• Lending interest rate (%) — 10.51% (2019)
• Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lebanon's net foreign assets (current LCU)?

51.57 trillion in 2017, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 11.24 million% from 459 million in 1960 (22.63% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 60.95 trillion in 2010 and the lowest 459 million in 1960.

Is the latest change in net foreign assets (current LCU) unusual for Lebanon?

In 2017, Lebanon's net foreign assets (current LCU) rose 5% on 2016 (from 49.12 trillion to 51.57 trillion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2016), the average change was +31.8% and a typical year strayed about 86.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FM.AST.NFRG.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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