Libya: Commercial service imports (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Libya's commercial service imports (current US$) rose 21.1% on 2022 (from US$7.68 billion to US$9.3 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +13.4% and a typical year strayed about 37.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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 136.9% in 1991 and the biggest yearly fall was 61.5% in 1992. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$438.07 million a year. A straight line explains 35% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2023, Libya had the 1st highest value of the 12 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Libya in the 2023 ranking

• Lebanon — 2nd of 12: US$6.61 billion
• Guyana — 3rd of 12: US$4.92 billion
• Senegal — 4th of 12: US$4.02 billion

What this measures

Commercial service imports are total service imports minus imports of government services not included elsewhere. Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Balance of payments statistics, the main source of information on international trade in services, have many weaknesses. Disaggregation of important components may be limited and varies considerably across countries. There are inconsistencies in the methods used to report items. And the recording of major flows as net items is common (for example, insurance transactions are often recorded as premiums less claims). These factors contribute to a downward bias in the value of the service trade reported in the balance of payments. Efforts are being made to improve the coverage, quality, and consistency of these data.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 47 values

Commercial service imports (current US$) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — US$1.04 billion (2020)
• Algeria — US$11.38 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — US$12.97 billion (2025)
• Djibouti — US$694.21 million (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — US$26.94 billion (2025)
• Iraq — US$26.61 billion (2025)
• Israel — US$56.17 billion (2025)
• Jordan — US$6.27 billion (2024)
• Kuwait — US$28.64 billion (2025)
• Lebanon — US$6.61 billion (2023)

More private sector & trade data for Libya

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 102.7% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$19.31 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$30.09 billion (2025)
• Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) — 0.21% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 51.53% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 48.43% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise imports) — 18.69% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle East & North Africa (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Libya's commercial service imports (current US$)?

US$9.3 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1977?

It is up 756.85% from US$1.09 billion in 1977 (4.78% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$9.3 billion in 2023 and the lowest US$510.11 million in 1995.

How does Libya rank?

1st highest of 12 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in commercial service imports (current US$) unusual for Libya?

In 2023, Libya's commercial service imports (current US$) rose 21.1% on 2022 (from US$7.68 billion to US$9.3 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +13.4% and a typical year strayed about 37.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TM.VAL.SERV.CD.WT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, 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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