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.

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).

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.