Libya: Energy intensity level of primary energy (MJ/$2021 PPP GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Libya's energy intensity level of primary energy (MJ/$2021 PPP GDP) rose 18.5% on 2020 (from 4.44 to 5.26).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2020), the average change was +3% and a typical year strayed about 27.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 71.2% in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 38.6% in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 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.

How it compares

In 2021, Libya had the 37th highest value of the 85 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 2021 ranking

• Nepal — 34th of 85: 5.63
• Algeria — 35th of 85: 5.61
• United Arab Emirates — 36th of 85: 5.48
• Niger — 38th of 85: 5.19
• Cambodia — 39th of 85: 4.96
• Iraq — 40th of 85: 4.96

What this measures

Energy intensity level of primary energy is the ratio between energy supply and gross domestic product measured at purchasing power parity. Energy intensity is an indication of how much energy is used to produce one unit of economic output. Lower ratio indicates that less energy is used to produce one unit of output.

Limitations: Energy intensity level is only an imperfect proxy to energy efficiency indicator and it can be affected by a number of factors not necessarily linked to pure efficiency such as climate.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 22 values

Energy intensity level of primary energy (MJ/$2021 PPP GDP) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 2.94 (2021)
• Algeria — 5.61 (2021)
• Bahrain — 9.23 (2021)
• Djibouti — 2.03 (2022)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 3.06 (2021)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 9.32 (2021)
• Iraq — 4.96 (2021)
• Israel — 2.3 (2022)
• Jordan — 3.39 (2021)

More environment data for Libya

• Population in largest city — 1.2 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 18.35% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 1.2 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 16.13% (2025)
• Rural population — 901,647 (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 12.09% (2025)
• Urban population — 6.56 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 87.91% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 10 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Libya's energy intensity level of primary energy (MJ/$2021 PPP GDP)?

5.26 in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 13.12% from 4.65 in 2000 (0.59% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 8.01 in 2014 and the lowest 2.97 in 2007.

How does Libya rank?

37th highest of 85 economies with data for 2021.

Is the latest change in energy intensity level of primary energy (MJ/$2021 PPP GDP) unusual for Libya?

In 2021, Libya's energy intensity level of primary energy (MJ/$2021 PPP GDP) rose 18.5% on 2020 (from 4.44 to 5.26). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2020), the average change was +3% and a typical year strayed about 27.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 EG.EGY.PRIM.PP.KD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, International Energy Agency (IEA), note: License: Creative Commons Attribution—NonCommercial 3.0 IGO (CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO); International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), note: Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report; United Nations (UN), note: Tracking SD… 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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