Adoption of communication technologies in Libya

Libya: Adoption of communication technologies was 1.22 million in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
1.22 million
Change on year
down 22.7%
World rank
60th
of 212 countries
All-time high
1.58 million
in 2017
All-time low
8,427
in 1960
Years of data
54
1960–2022

Adoption of communication technologies in Libya, 1960–2022

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Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2022, adoption of communication technologies in Libya stood at 1.22 million.

The figure is down 22.7% on the previous year and up 49.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adoption of communication technologies in Libya peaked at 1.58 million in 2017 and was at its lowest, 8,427, in 1960.

That places Libya 60th out of 212 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Adoption of communication technologies in Libya, year by year

Annual values for Adoption of communication technologies in Libya, 1960 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1960 8,427
1961 8,427 +0.0%
1962 8,427 +0.0%
1963 8,427 +0.0%
1964 8,427 +0.0%
1966 8,427 +0.0%
1967 8,427 +0.0%
1968 8,427 +0.0%
1969 8,427 +0.0%
1971 8,427 +0.0%
1972 8,427 +0.0%
1973 8,427 +0.0%
1974 8,427 +0.0%
1981 89,300 +959.7%
1982 99,750 +11.7%
1983 111,400 +11.7%
1984 124,350 +11.6%
1985 138,900 +11.7%
1986 155,000 +11.6%
1987 173,100 +11.7%
1988 199,300 +15.1%
1989 215,850 +8.3%
1990 220,000 +1.9%
1991 232,980 +5.9%
1992 235,803 +1.2%
1993 240,000 +1.8%
1994 264,000 +10.0%
1995 318,000 +20.5%
1996 380,000 +19.5%
1997 400,000 +5.3%
1998 500,000 +25.0%
1999 550,000 +10.0%
2000 605,000 +10.0%
2001 660,000 +9.1%
2002 720,000 +9.1%
2003 750,000 +4.2%
2004 799,500 +6.6%
2005 852,300 +6.6%
2006 909,000 +6.7%
2007 969,000 +6.6%
2008 920,416 -5.0%
2009 1.06 million +15.5%
2010 1.23 million +15.5%
2011 1.00 million -18.6%
2012 814,000 -18.6%
2013 789,000 -3.1%
2014 914,491 +15.9%
2015 1.06 million +16.3%
2016 1.37 million +29.3%
2017 1.58 million +14.7%
2019 1.58 million +0.0%
2020 1.58 million +0.0%
2021 1.58 million +0.0%
2022 1.22 million -22.7%

Libya compared with similar countries

  • Libya's 1.22 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 734,874, 1.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Libya's 1.22 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.22 million, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Adoption of communication technologies in Libya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1981 +959.7% 8,427 89,300

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 8,427 8,427 8,427 9
1970s 8,427 8,427 8,427 4
1980s 145,217 89,300 215,850 9
1990s 334,078 220,000 550,000 10
2000s 824,848 605,000 1.06 million 10
2010s 1.15 million 789,000 1.58 million 9
2020s 1.46 million 1.22 million 1.58 million 3

Countries ranked near Libya

  1. 57 Azerbaijan 1.33 million compare
  2. 58 Laos 1.23 million compare
  3. 59 Ecuador 1.22 million compare
  4. 61 Uruguay 1.21 million compare
  5. 62 North Korea 1.18 million compare
  6. 63 Czechia 1.16 million compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More reference data data for Libya

All data for Libya →

Frequently asked questions

What is adoption of communication technologies in Libya?
Adoption of communication technologies in Libya was 1.22 million in 2022, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest adoption of communication technologies recorded in Libya?
The highest recorded value was 1.58 million in 2017.
What is the lowest adoption of communication technologies recorded in Libya?
The lowest recorded value was 8,427 in 1960.
How does Libya rank for adoption of communication technologies?
Libya ranks 60th out of 212 countries with data for 2022.
Is adoption of communication technologies rising or falling in Libya?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Libya data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Adoption of communication technologies. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adoption of communication technologies in Libya. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/ict-adoption/libya/

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About this data

Indicator
Adoption of communication technologies
Source
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 11,803 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed