Arable land use per person in Libya
Libya: Arable land use per person was 0.2354 hectares per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.2354 hectares per person
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
47th
of 206 countries
All-time high
1.09 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.2354 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land use per person in Libya, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land use per person in Libya stood at 0.2354 hectares per person. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land use per person in Libya peaked at 1.09 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.2354 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places Libya 47th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arable land use per person in Libya, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.09 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 1.05 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1963 | 1.01 hectares per person | -4.1% |
| 1964 | 0.9779 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1965 | 0.9507 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1966 | 0.9302 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1967 | 0.9061 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1968 | 0.8834 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1969 | 0.8564 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1970 | 0.8283 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1971 | 0.8033 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 0.7771 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 0.7497 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1974 | 0.7133 hectares per person | -4.9% |
| 1975 | 0.6766 hectares per person | -5.1% |
| 1976 | 0.6394 hectares per person | -5.5% |
| 1977 | 0.6056 hectares per person | -5.3% |
| 1978 | 0.5733 hectares per person | -5.3% |
| 1979 | 0.5412 hectares per person | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 0.5119 hectares per person | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 0.4854 hectares per person | -5.2% |
| 1982 | 0.4739 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 0.4773 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 0.4717 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 0.4584 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 0.4468 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1987 | 0.4359 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 0.4248 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 0.4156 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 0.4061 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 0.3983 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 0.3911 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.3835 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.3785 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 0.3811 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 0.4066 hectares per person | +6.7% |
| 1997 | 0.4004 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 0.3531 hectares per person | -11.8% |
| 1999 | 0.3478 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 0.3421 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 0.3359 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 0.3295 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 0.323 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 0.3051 hectares per person | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 0.2987 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 0.2926 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 0.2867 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 0.2807 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 0.2749 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 0.2641 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 0.2705 hectares per person | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 0.2783 hectares per person | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 0.2728 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 0.2676 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 0.2633 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 0.2593 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 0.2552 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 0.2511 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 0.2474 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 0.2441 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 0.2411 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 0.2381 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 0.2354 hectares per person | -1.1% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 0.2354 hectares per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1102 hectares per person, 2.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Libya's 0.2354 hectares per person is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.0276 hectares per person, 8.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.9626 hectares per person | 0.8564 hectares per person | 1.09 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.6908 hectares per person | 0.5412 hectares per person | 0.8283 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4602 hectares per person | 0.4156 hectares per person | 0.5119 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3846 hectares per person | 0.3478 hectares per person | 0.4066 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3069 hectares per person | 0.2749 hectares per person | 0.3421 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.263 hectares per person | 0.2474 hectares per person | 0.2783 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2397 hectares per person | 0.2354 hectares per person | 0.2441 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More environment data for Libya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -35.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.37 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.386 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2239 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.1672 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land use per person in Libya?
- Arable land use per person in Libya was 0.2354 hectares per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arable land use per person recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 1.09 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land use per person recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2354 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Libya rank for arable land use per person?
- Libya ranks 47th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land use per person rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arable land use per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Arable land is defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops, temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. It is measured in hectares per person.