Military spending in Libya

Libya: Military spending was 1.60 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.60 billion constant 2024 US$
Change on year
up 26.7%
World rank
75th
of 162 countries
All-time high
2.36 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2013
All-time low
41.70 million constant 2024 US$
in 1964
Years of data
36
1964–2023

Military spending in Libya, 1964–2023

0500.0M1.0B1.5B2.0B2.5B1964199320231964: 41.7M constant 2024 US$1965: 50.7M constant 2024 US$1966: 90.8M constant 2024 US$1967: 115.1M constant 2024 US$1968: 137.6M constant 2024 US$1969: 187.8M constant 2024 US$1970: 336.1M constant 2024 US$1971: 346.9M constant 2024 US$1972: 267.8M constant 2024 US$1973: 332.9M constant 2024 US$1974: 442.3M constant 2024 US$1975: 270.2M constant 2024 US$1976: 290.5M constant 2024 US$1977: 401.8M constant 2024 US$1978: 472.6M constant 2024 US$1979: 588.1M constant 2024 US$1980: 674.5M constant 2024 US$1981: 314.7M constant 2024 US$1982: 363.3M constant 2024 US$1997: 353.8M constant 2024 US$1998: 399.1M constant 2024 US$1999: 308.2M constant 2024 US$2000: 329.8M constant 2024 US$2001: 322.7M constant 2024 US$2002: 414.7M constant 2024 US$2003: 516.2M constant 2024 US$2004: 674.0M constant 2024 US$2005: 664.0M constant 2024 US$2006: 584.2M constant 2024 US$2007: 549.8M constant 2024 US$2008: 831.0M constant 2024 US$2012: 1.8B constant 2024 US$2013: 2.4B constant 2024 US$2014: 2.2B constant 2024 US$2022: 1.3B constant 2024 US$2023: 1.6B constant 2024 US$

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.

Analysis

In 2023, military spending in Libya stood at 1.60 billion constant 2024 US$.

The figure is up 26.7% on the previous year and down 32.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending in Libya peaked at 2.36 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2013 and was at its lowest, 41.70 million constant 2024 US$, in 1964.

Libya ranks 75th of 162 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 103.96 million constant 2024 US$ 41.70 million constant 2024 US$ 187.82 million constant 2024 US$ 6
1970s 374.92 million constant 2024 US$ 267.84 million constant 2024 US$ 588.13 million constant 2024 US$ 10
1980s 450.81 million constant 2024 US$ 314.71 million constant 2024 US$ 674.45 million constant 2024 US$ 3
1990s 353.70 million constant 2024 US$ 308.17 million constant 2024 US$ 399.11 million constant 2024 US$ 3
2000s 542.93 million constant 2024 US$ 322.68 million constant 2024 US$ 830.98 million constant 2024 US$ 9
2010s 2.12 billion constant 2024 US$ 1.81 billion constant 2024 US$ 2.36 billion constant 2024 US$ 3
2020s 1.43 billion constant 2024 US$ 1.26 billion constant 2024 US$ 1.60 billion constant 2024 US$ 2

Countries ranked near Libya

  1. 72 Nigeria 1.76 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  2. 73 Armenia 1.65 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  3. 74 Latvia 1.60 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  4. 77 Bahrain 1.46 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
  5. 78 Estonia 1.44 billion constant 2024 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Libya

All data for Libya →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending in Libya?
Military spending in Libya was 1.60 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2023, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending recorded in Libya?
The highest recorded value was 2.36 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2013.
What is the lowest military spending recorded in Libya?
The lowest recorded value was 41.70 million constant 2024 US$ in 1964.
How does Libya rank for military spending?
Libya ranks 75th out of 162 countries with data for 2023.
Is military spending rising or falling in Libya?
Over the last ten years it is down 32.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Libya data come from?
The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending
Unit
constant 2024 US$
Source
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 8,341 data points, 1949–2025
Last refreshed

This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.