Total natural resource rents in Libya

Libya: Total natural resource rents was 61.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
61.0%
Change on year
up 431.7%
World rank
1st
of 211 countries
All-time high
66.1%
in 2008
All-time low
11.5%
in 2020
Years of data
32
1990–2021

Total natural resource rents in Libya, 1990–2021

2040601990200520211990: 40.4 % of GDP1991: 24 % of GDP1992: 23 % of GDP1993: 22.9 % of GDP1994: 22.6 % of GDP1995: 27.6 % of GDP1996: 31.9 % of GDP1997: 27.2 % of GDP1998: 18.7 % of GDP1999: 20.2 % of GDP2000: 34.3 % of GDP2001: 30.4 % of GDP2002: 49.6 % of GDP2003: 48.7 % of GDP2004: 55.8 % of GDP2005: 62.3 % of GDP2006: 62.3 % of GDP2007: 61.4 % of GDP2008: 66.1 % of GDP2009: 51.7 % of GDP2010: 56 % of GDP2011: 37.6 % of GDP2012: 59.1 % of GDP2013: 47.7 % of GDP2014: 31 % of GDP2015: 16.4 % of GDP2016: 12.2 % of GDP2017: 22.2 % of GDP2018: 31.6 % of GDP2019: 34.5 % of GDP2020: 11.5 % of GDP2021: 61 % of GDP

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for total natural resource rents in Libya is 61.0%, measured in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 431.7% on the previous year and up 62.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in Libya peaked at 66.1% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2020.

That places Libya 1st out of 211 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.

Total natural resource rents in Libya, year by year

Annual values for Total natural resource rents in Libya, 1990 to 2021.
Year % of GDP Change
1990 40.4%
1991 24.0% -40.6%
1992 23.0% -4.3%
1993 22.9% -0.3%
1994 22.6% -1.4%
1995 27.6% +22.3%
1996 31.9% +15.5%
1997 27.2% -14.8%
1998 18.7% -31.3%
1999 20.2% +8.1%
2000 34.3% +69.6%
2001 30.4% -11.3%
2002 49.6% +63.3%
2003 48.7% -1.8%
2004 55.8% +14.6%
2005 62.3% +11.6%
2006 62.3% -0.1%
2007 61.4% -1.5%
2008 66.1% +7.6%
2009 51.7% -21.7%
2010 56.0% +8.2%
2011 37.6% -32.9%
2012 59.1% +57.3%
2013 47.7% -19.2%
2014 31.0% -35.0%
2015 16.4% -47.2%
2016 12.2% -25.3%
2017 22.2% +80.9%
2018 31.6% +42.7%
2019 34.5% +9.1%
2020 11.5% -66.7%
2021 61.0% +431.7%

Libya compared with similar countries

  • Libya's 61.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.8%, 33.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Libya's 61.0% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.1%, 11.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Total natural resource rents 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
2021 +431.7% 11.5% 61.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.8% 18.7% 40.4% 10
2000s 52.3% 30.4% 66.1% 10
2010s 34.8% 12.2% 59.1% 10
2020s 36.3% 11.5% 61.0% 2

Countries ranked near Libya

  1. 2 Iraq 43.4% compare
  2. 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 38.8% compare
  3. 4 Congo 37.7% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Libya

All data for Libya →

Frequently asked questions

What is total natural resource rents in Libya?
Total natural resource rents in Libya was 61.0% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in Libya?
The highest recorded value was 66.1% in 2008.
What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in Libya?
The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2020.
How does Libya rank for total natural resource rents?
Libya ranks 1st out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in Libya?
Over the last ten years it is up 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Libya data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Total natural resource rents in Libya. Statizoid, drawing on The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/natural-resource-rents/libya/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/natural-resource-rents/libya/">Total natural resource rents in Libya</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Total natural resource rents
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 9,209 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.