Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-third of GDP. In 1990 per capita GDP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but GDP growth rates have slowed and fluctuate sharply in response to changes in the world oil market. Import restrictions and inefficient resource allocations have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs. Windfall revenues from the hike in world oil prices in late 1990 improved the foreign payments position and resulted in a current account surplus through 1992. The nonoil manufacturing and construction sectors, which account for about 20% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for only 5% of GDP, it employs about 20% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food requirements. The UN sanctions imposed in April 1992 have not yet had a major impact on the economy because Libya's oil revenues generate sufficient foreign exchange that, along with Libya's large currency reserves, sustain food and consumer goods imports as well as equipment for the oil industry and ongoing development projects.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $32 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 1% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $6,600 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $8.1 billion
expenditures: $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)

Exports: $7.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas
partners: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Turkey, Greece, Egypt

Imports: $8.26 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
partners: Italy, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, Eastern Europe

External debt: $3.5 billion excluding military debt (1991 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 10.5% (1990)

Electricity:
capacity: 4,935,000 kW
production: 14.385 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 2,952 kWh (1992)

Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement

Agriculture: 5% of GNP; cash crops - wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported

Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $242 million
note: no longer a recipient

Currency: 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.3233 (January 1994), 0.3250 (1993), 0.3013 (1992), 0.2684 (1991), 0.2699 (1990), 0.2922 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Libya on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Libya Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Libya Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.