State Capacity Index in Libya

Libya: State Capacity Index was -1.35 in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
-1.35
Change on year
down 51.9%
World rank
162nd
of 166 countries
All-time high
0.0802
in 1992
All-time low
-1.35
in 2015
Years of data
56
1960–2015

State Capacity Index in Libya, 1960–2015

-1.5-1-0.50196019872015

Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for state capacity index in Libya is -1.35, measured in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.

That represents a change of down 51.9% on the previous year and down 140.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, state capacity index in Libya peaked at 0.0802 in 1992 and was at its lowest, -1.35, in 2015.

That places Libya 162nd out of 166 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

State Capacity Index in Libya, year by year

Annual values for State Capacity Index in Libya, 1960 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1960 -1.01
1961 -0.9125 -9.4%
1962 -0.8262 -9.5%
1963 -0.6576 -20.4%
1964 -0.5679 -13.6%
1965 -0.5274 -7.1%
1966 -0.4617 -12.5%
1967 -0.4108 -11.0%
1968 -0.429 +4.4%
1969 -0.3248 -24.3%
1970 -0.1873 -42.3%
1971 -0.2053 +9.6%
1972 -0.2276 +10.9%
1973 -0.1894 -16.8%
1974 -0.1518 -19.9%
1975 -0.2159 +42.2%
1976 -0.2042 -5.4%
1977 -0.1697 -16.9%
1978 -0.1054 -37.9%
1979 -0.0971 -7.8%
1980 -0.0878 -9.6%
1981 -0.1577 +79.5%
1982 -0.2197 +39.3%
1983 -0.0816 -62.9%
1984 -0.2632 +222.5%
1985 -0.704 +167.5%
1986 -0.4669 -33.7%
1987 -0.4733 +1.4%
1988 -0.3349 -29.2%
1989 -0.3184 -4.9%
1990 -0.2182 -31.5%
1991 -0.3929 +80.1%
1992 0.0802 -120.4%
1993 -0.184 -329.4%
1994 -0.0008 -99.6%
1995 -0.0027 +241.4%
1996 -0.1286 +4749.2%
1997 -0.2981 +131.8%
1998 -0.2419 -18.9%
1999 -0.4169 +72.3%
2000 -0.5041 +20.9%
2001 -0.5143 +2.0%
2002 -0.1729 -66.4%
2003 -0.5033 +191.1%
2004 -0.713 +41.7%
2005 -0.5618 -21.2%
2006 -0.3312 -41.0%
2007 -0.2043 -38.3%
2008 -0.0915 -55.2%
2009 -0.1029 +12.5%
2010 -0.183 +77.8%
2011 -0.6337 +246.3%
2012 -0.5332 -15.9%
2013 -0.6612 +24.0%
2014 -0.8898 +34.6%
2015 -1.35 +51.9%

Libya compared with similar countries

  • Libya's -1.35 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5986. (47 countries reporting)
  • Libya's -1.35 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.2707. (21 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where State Capacity Index 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
1996 -4749.2% -0.0027 -0.1286
1993 -329.4% 0.0802 -0.184
2011 -246.3% -0.183 -0.6337

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -0.6125 -1.01 -0.3248 10
1970s -0.1754 -0.2276 -0.0971 10
1980s -0.3108 -0.704 -0.0816 10
1990s -0.1804 -0.4169 0.0802 10
2000s -0.3699 -0.713 -0.0915 10
2010s -0.7088 -1.35 -0.183 6

Countries ranked near Libya

  1. 159 Haiti -1.15 compare
  2. 160 Syria -1.2 compare
  3. 161 Eritrea -1.23 compare
  4. 163 South Sudan -1.37 compare
  5. 164 Yemen -1.44 compare
  6. 165 Central African Republic -1.54 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Libya

All data for Libya →

Frequently asked questions

What is state capacity index in Libya?
State capacity index in Libya was -1.35 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest state capacity index recorded in Libya?
The highest recorded value was 0.0802 in 1992.
What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in Libya?
The lowest recorded value was -1.35 in 2015.
How does Libya rank for state capacity index?
Libya ranks 162nd out of 166 countries with data for 2015.
Is state capacity index rising or falling in Libya?
Over the last ten years it is down 140.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Libya data come from?
The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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State Capacity Index in Libya. Statizoid, drawing on Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/state-capacity-index/libya/

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About this data

Indicator
State Capacity Index
Source
Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 8,015 data points, 1960–2015
Last refreshed

Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.