Libya's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) was 14.72 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 275.7% from -8.38 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 14.72 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | -6.67 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | -8.38 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 57.53 billion | 2022 |
| Lowest | -8.8 billion | 2014 |
| Average since 2016 | 15.23 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 700.2 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Libya's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) rose 784.11 million on 2024 (from 13.94 billion to 14.72 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +461.45 million and a typical year strayed about 17.62 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 38.19 billion in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 36.06 billion in 2023. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 21% 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 2025, Libya had the 45th highest value of the 137 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 2025 ranking
- Italy — 42nd of 137: 43.6 billion
- Luxembourg — 43rd of 137: 27.89 billion
- Australia — 44th of 137: 16.32 billion
- Austria — 46th of 137: 12.23 billion
- Azerbaijan — 47th of 137: 8.02 billion
- Malta — 48th of 137: 4.72 billion
What this measures
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. 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 36 values
| Year | External balance on goods and services (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 14,719,115,600 |
| 2024 | 13,935,004,800 |
| 2023 | 21,469,228,700 |
| 2022 | 57,533,550,700 |
| 2021 | 31,519,800,000 |
| 2020 | -6,668,000,000 |
| 2019 | 5,535,800,000 |
| 2018 | 16,167,800,000 |
| 2017 | 6,407,800,000 |
| 2016 | -8,295,900,000 |
External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Afghanistan — -660.71 billion (2024)
- Algeria — -2.01 trillion (2025)
- Bahrain — 3.11 billion (2024)
- Djibouti — 120.74 billion (2025)
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — -2.12 trillion (2025)
- Iran, Islamic Rep. — -23,522.9 trillion (2025)
- Iraq — 8.68 trillion (2024)
- Israel — 44.86 billion (2025)
- Kuwait — 8.65 billion (2024)
- Lebanon
More economic policy & debt data for Libya
- Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$104.66 billion (2025)
- Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$84.06 billion (2025)
- GDP (current US$) — US$48.1 billion (2025)
- GDP (current LCU) — 255.17 billion (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$64.4 billion (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU) — 96.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per capita (current US$) — US$6,449 (2025)
- GDP per capita (current LCU) — 34,212 (2025)
- GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$8,634 (2025)
- GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 12,960 (2025)
- GNI (current US$) — US$49.92 billion (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Libya's external balance on goods and services (current LCU)?
- 14.72 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1990?
- It is up 2,002% from 700.2 million in 1990 (9.09% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 57.53 billion in 2022 and the lowest -8.8 billion in 2014.
- How does Libya rank?
- 45th highest of 137 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in external balance on goods and services (current LCU) unusual for Libya?
- In 2025, Libya's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) rose 784.11 million on 2024 (from 13.94 billion to 14.72 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +461.45 million and a typical year strayed about 17.62 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 NE.RSB.GNFS.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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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