Armed forces personnel in Libya
Libya: Armed forces personnel was 0 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Libya, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Libya is 0, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Libya peaked at 86,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2014.
Libya ranks 169th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Libya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 73,000 | — |
| 1989 | 86,000 | +17.8% |
| 1990 | 86,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 86,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 85,000 | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 85,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 80,000 | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 80,500 | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 65,500 | -18.6% |
| 1997 | 65,500 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 65,500 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 65,500 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 76,500 | +16.8% |
| 2001 | 76,500 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 76,500 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 76,500 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 76,000 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 76,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 76,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 76,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 76,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 76,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7,000 | -90.8% |
| 2013 | 7,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2020 | 0 | — |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 0 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000. (48 countries reporting)
- Libya's 0 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,000. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 79,500 | 73,000 | 86,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 76,450 | 65,500 | 86,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 76,200 | 76,000 | 76,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,667 | 0 | 7,000 | 3 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 169 Antigua and Barbuda 0 compare
- 169 Iceland 0 compare
- 169 Palestine 0 compare
- 169 Seychelles 0 compare
More reference data data for Libya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0637 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.021 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2136 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0873 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.82 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.82 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1144 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Libya?
- Armed forces personnel in Libya was 0 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 86,000 in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2014.
- How does Libya rank for armed forces personnel?
- Libya ranks 169th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.