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Libya vs Syria
Side-by-side comparison of Libya and Syria from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Libya
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · nation age 475 years
Syria
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · nation age 106 years
In short
Libya scores 36.8 in the NationsTree Index (140th in the world) and Syria scores 24.9 (177th), a gap of 11.9 points. Their trees are 6.1 m and 5.7 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Syria has 3.4 times the population of Libya. Libya is 9.5 times larger than Syria by land area. The economy of Libya is 12% larger than that of Syria (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Libya 7.5 million and Syria 25.6 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $16,521 in Libya and $4,905 in Syria (2025, international dollars). People in Syria live on average 1.4 years longer (72.6 vs 71.1 years).
Of 23 indicators reported by both countries, Libya ranks higher in the world on 16 and Syria on 7. Libya is clearly stronger in trade, economy and society & health. Syria is clearly stronger in military.
As a nation, Libya is the older of the two (statehood since 1551, 475 years), compared with Syria (since 1920). Over the last five years Libya improved faster (direction score 52 vs 33 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Libya and Syria.
Libyabetter
13.4%
3rd of 210
Syria
-0.2%
195th of 210
CO₂ emissions per personEnvironment & energy
Libya
8.66
180th of 203
Syriabetter
1.27
71st of 203
GNI per person (Atlas)Economy
Libyabetter
$7,250
110th of 201
Syria
$720
193rd of 201
Hospital bedsSociety & health
Libyabetter
3.5
48th of 145
Syria
1.4
102nd of 145
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Syria overtook Libya in life expectancy in 2023 and has stayed ahead since.
Libya overtook Syria in the NationsTree Index in 2012 and has stayed ahead since.
Syria has been ahead of Libya in population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
LibyaSyria All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Libya | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 1,759,54016th/216 · 2024 | 185,18088th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 1,759,54016th/216 · 2024 | 183,63088th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 7.5 m105th/217 · 2025 | 25.6 m57th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 1.04%98th/217 · 2025 | 3.77%5th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 4.2209th/216 · 2024 | 134.484th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 87.9%40th/217 · 2025 | 72.1%81st/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 26.8%85th/217 · 2025 | 28.4%78th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 5.2%146th/217 · 2025 | 4.8%151st/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $48.10 bn101st/210 · 2025 | $23.74 bn125th/210 · 2022 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $123.23 bn95th/199 · 2025 | $110.18 bn99th/199 · 2022 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $105.30 bn94th/199 · 2025 | $102.86 bn96th/199 · 2022 |
| GDP per person USD | $6,449128th/210 · 2025 | $1,057196th/210 · 2022 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $16,521117th/199 · 2025 | $4,905167th/199 · 2022 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $7,250110th/201 · 2025 | $720193rd/201 · 2022 |
| GDP growth % | 13.4%3rd/210 · 2025 | -0.2%195th/210 · 2022 |
| Inflation % | 1.8%55th/180 · 2025 | 13.4%2019 |
| Unemployment % | 18.8%178th/187 · 2025 | 13.6%168th/187 · 2025 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 153.8%186th/189 · 2025 | 30.0%2010 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -30.5%191st/192 · 2025 | -7.8%2010 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 1.5%158th/197 · 2025 | 42.9%2nd/197 · 2022 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 73.2%2nd/200 · 2025 | 11.9%175th/200 · 2022 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 2.8%2017 | — |
| Services % of GDP | 26.9%199th/200 · 2025 | 44.7%170th/200 · 2022 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $34.49 bn78th/182 · 2025 | $1.61 bn153rd/182 · 2022 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $31.72 bn81st/182 · 2025 | $6.80 bn131st/182 · 2022 |
| Exports % of GDP | 71.7%25th/183 · 2025 | 6.8%180th/183 · 2022 |
| Imports % of GDP | 65.9%43rd/183 · 2025 | 28.7%139th/183 · 2022 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 137.7%29th/183 · 2025 | 35.4%168th/183 · 2022 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 94.4%2019 | 49.9%2010 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 0.6%2019 | 24.7%2010 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 0.1%2019 | 21.0%2010 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 0.7%2019 | 2.7%2010 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 0.6%2019 | 1.4%2010 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | 1.1%67th/191 · 2025 | -2.8%2010 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.7%115th/196 · 2025 | 1.2%2011 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 61.0%1st/209 · 2021 | 6.4%65th/209 · 2020 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 56.38%1st/197 · 2021 | 4.02%29th/197 · 2020 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 4.58%15th/197 · 2021 | 2.33%20th/197 · 2020 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2020 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2020 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.08%119th/209 · 2021 | 0.03%137th/209 · 2020 |
| Arable land % of land area | 1.0%182nd/206 · 2024 | 24.0%41st/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 97170th/183 · 2022 | 318160th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 760,0002008 | 2.4 m59th/194 · 2019 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $170.0 m2010 | $1.82 bn2011 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 0.3%2010 | 32.2%2010 |
| Outbound trips departures | 650,0001997 | 6.3 m2010 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 71.1147th/217 · 2024 | 72.6130th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 9.874th/196 · 2024 | 18.4119th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 2.042017 | 1.5293rd/174 · 2021 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 3.548th/145 · 2022 | 1.4102nd/145 · 2021 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 86%125th/193 · 2024 | 73%162nd/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | — | 34.1%2009 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 97.6%2006 | 38.7%165th/173 · 2024 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | — | 8.2%2003 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 7.6%147th/217 · 2025 | 7.3%158th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 7.8%66th/193 · 2023 | 2.7%184th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | — | 94.4%41st/98 · 2021 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 58.5%2003 | 43.8%2016 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.721115th/193 · 2023 | 0.564162nd/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | — | 26.47th/108 · 2022 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | — | 18.0%89th/108 · 2022 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 77.4%173rd/215 · 2024 | 89.3%162nd/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 21.7%125th/144 · 2024 | — |
| Internet users % of population | 82.0%97th/186 · 2024 | 33.8%2018 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 1938th/210 · 2022 | 71175th/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 4.5144th/208 · 2022 | 6.9134th/208 · 2023 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 1.70163rd/164 · 2022 | 2.20131st/164 · 2022 |
| Rail lines route-km | — | 2,1392010 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 1.1 m95th/161 · 2023 | 610,745114th/161 · 2023 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 8.66180th/203 · 2024 | 1.2771st/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 3.1%173rd/212 · 2021 | 1.1%187th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 20.0116th/200 · 2023 | 32.1159th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 0.1%207th/214 · 2024 | 2.9%187th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 3,32228th/149 · 2024 | 333137th/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 21.9194th/205 · 2025 | 19.9196th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 17.2197th/207 · 2025 | 15.4204th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 31.5196th/207 · 2025 | 28.7201st/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 33.4195th/207 · 2025 | 25.0205th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 26.9197th/205 · 2025 | 24.3200th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 31.3177th/205 · 2025 | 28.0186th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | — | 2.12010 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $1.57 bn71st/156 · 2023 | $2.49 bn2011 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 3.6%17th/156 · 2023 | 4.1%2010 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 5.5%72nd/154 · 2023 | 13.6%2010 |
| Armed forces personnel people | 0166th/170 · 2020 | 269,00026th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.00%166th/168 · 2020 | 5.44%3rd/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 5.0 m129th/163 · 2024 | 2.0 m144th/163 · 2025 |
| Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 02016 | 30.0 m2010 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | — | 0.04%107th/110 · 2022 |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 121996 | 10469th/137 · 2024 |
| Scientific articles articles | 443105th/197 · 2023 | 64694th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Libya or Syria?
Syria has the larger population: 25.6 m (2025) compared with 7.5 m for Libya (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Libya or Syria?
Libya is larger: 1,759,540 km² (2024) compared with 185,180 km² for Syria (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Libya or Syria?
Libya has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $123.23 bn intl. (2025) compared with $110.18 bn intl. for Syria (2022). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Libya or Syria?
Libya has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $16,521 intl. (2025) compared with $4,905 intl. for Syria (2022). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Libya or Syria?
Syria has the higher life expectancy at birth: 72.6 years (2024) compared with 71.1 years for Libya (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which spends more on the military, Libya or Syria?
Syria spends more on the military: $2.49 bn (2011) compared with $1.57 bn for Libya (2023). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Libya or Syria?
Libya: 36.8 points (140th in the world); Syria: 24.9 points (177th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Afghanistan
Bahrain
Jordan
Tunisia
Lebanon
MaltaSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Libya vs Syria — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/libya-vs-syria. Data as of 26 October 2026.