As a result of its location at the crossroads of three continents, the area that is modern-day Lebanon is rich in cultural and religious diversity. This region was subject to various foreign conquests for much of its history, including by the Romans, Arabs, and Ottomans. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. From it the French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920, and it gained independence in 1943. Since then, Lebanon has experienced periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its historical position as a regional center for finance and trade, although that status has significantly diminished since the beginning of Lebanon’s economic crisis in 2019, which includes simultaneous currency, debt, and banking crises. The country’s 1975-90 civil war, which resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has historically influenced Lebanon’s foreign and domestic policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. Hizballah - a major Lebanese political party, militia, and US-designated foreign terrorist organization - and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria’s withdrawal and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon’s borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.
Since 2019, Lebanon has experienced a severe economic crisis that has crippled its economy, shut down its previously lucrative banking sector, reduced the value of its currency, and caused many Lebanese to emigrate in search of better prospects.
land: 10,230 sq km
water: 170 sq km
border countries (2): Israel 81 km; Syria 403 km
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 1,250 m
arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 13.4% (2018 est.)
other: 23.3% (2018 est.)
5,331,203 (2023 est.)
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendants of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d’informations de base. (French)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Muslim 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha’is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2020 est.)
note: data represent the religious affiliation of the citizen population (data do not include Lebanon’s sizable Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations); 18 religious sects recognized
0-14 years: 19.21% (male 524,172/female 500,185)
15-64 years: 71.69% (male 1,929,150/female 1,892,806)
65 years and over: 9.1% (2023 est.) (male 208,436/female 276,454)
total dependency ratio: 59.3
youth dependency ratio: 44
elderly dependency ratio: 15.3
potential support ratio: 6.5 (2021 est.)
total: 35.8 years (2023 est.)
male: 35.1 years
female: 36.4 years
0.64% (2023 est.)
12.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density
urban population: 89.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
2.421 million BEIRUT (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 79 years (2023 est.)
male: 77.6 years
female: 80.5 years
1.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.83 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
8% of GDP (2020)
2.21 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
2.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
32% (2016)
total: 1.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 38.2% (2020 est.)
male: 47.5% (2020 est.)
female: 28.9% (2020 est.)
3.4% (2021) NA
51.4% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 1.4%
women married by age 18: 6% (2016 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.1%
male: 96.9%
female: 93.3% (2018)
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 11 years (2014)
deforestation; soil deterioration, erosion; desertification; species loss; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills; waste-water management
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows
agricultural land: 63.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 13.4% (2018 est.)
other: 23.3% (2018 est.)
urban population: 89.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
widespread lack of access: due to the ongoing financial and economic crisis - in September 2021, the United Nations estimated that, taking into account multiple factors other than income, such as access to health, education and public utilities, 82% of the population lives in multidimensional poverty in 2021, up from 42% in 2019 (2022)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 24.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 24.8 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 3.37 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.04 million tons (2014 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 163,200 tons (2014 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 8% (2014 est.)
municipal: 240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 900 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 700 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
4.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
upper middle-income Middle Eastern economy; economic activity hurt by economic depression, COVID-19, and port explosion; hyperinflation and sharp poverty increases; banks have ceased lending; new financing facility helping with recovery
$72.577 billion (2021 est.)
$78.041 billion (2020 est.)
$99.288 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
-7% (2021 est.)
-21.4% (2020 est.)
-7.16% (2019 est.)
$13,000 (2021 est.)
$13,800 (2020 est.)
$17,200 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$53.253 billion (2019 est.)
154.76% (2021 est.)
84.86% (2020 est.)
3.01% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: RD (2020)
Moody’s rating: C (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: D (2020)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 3.9% (2017 est.)
industry: 13.1% (2017 est.)
services: 83% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 87.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 13.3% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.5% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 23.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -46.4% (2017 est.)
potatoes, milk, tomatoes, apples, oranges, olives, wheat, cucumbers, poultry, lemons
banking, tourism, real estate and construction, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
-6.85% (2021 est.)
1.719 million (2021 est.)
note: excludes as many as 1 million foreign workers and refugees
14.49% (2021 est.)
13.3% (2020 est.)
11.35% (2019 est.)
total: 29.6% (2021 est.)
male: 30.8%
female: 26.7%
27.4% (2011 est.)
31.8 (2011 est.)
on food: 20.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 1.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
revenues: $11.061 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $16.574 billion (2019 est.)
-6.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
146.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
145.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover central government debt and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment
8.9% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
-$2.985 billion (2021 est.)
-$2.995 billion (2020 est.)
-$11.265 billion (2019 est.)
$10.147 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$8.773 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$18.208 billion (2019 est.)
Switzerland 27%, United Arab Emirates 15%, South Korea 11%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Kuwait 6% (2019)
gold, diamonds, scrap iron, wood furniture, grapes, jewelry, cars (2021)
$17.383 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$15.206 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$31.147 billion (2019 est.)
United Arab Emirates 11%, China 10%, Italy 8%, Greece 8%, Turkey 7%, United States 6% (2019)
refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, jewelry, gold (2019)
$35.239 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$42.44 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$52.213 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$33.077 billion (2019 est.)
$33.655 billion (2018 est.)
Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
1,507.5 (2021 est.)
1,507.5 (2020 est.)
1,507.5 (2019 est.)
1,507.5 (2018 est.)
1,507.5 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 3.768 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 18,715,620,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 900 million kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 2.219 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 94.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 268,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 268,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 168,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
151,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
25.838 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 563,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 25.275 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
53.528 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,981,937 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 56.57 million (2018) mt-km
OD
8 (2021)
5
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
3
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
1 (2021)
88 km gas (2013)
total: 401 km (2017)
standard gauge: 319 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 82 km (2017) 1.050-m gauge
note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006
total: 21,705 km (2017)
total: 49 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 32, oil tanker 1, other 14
major seaport(s): Beirut, Tripoli
container port(s) (TEUs): Beirut (1,229,100) (2019)
manyapis