Libya

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Libya
flag_Libya.png
Flag of Libya
Population (In Millions) 6.36
Human Development Index 64/169
Gross Domestic Product (In USD Billions - World Bank) 62.36
Global Peace Index 143/153
Happy Planet Index - /143
Social Institutions and Gender Index - /86
Environmental Performance Index 117/163
Child Mortality Rate 13.4
More information on variables

Contents

Demographics

Libya has a population of 6.16 million. [1] Libya has a small population residing in a large land area compared to its neighbouring North African countries. Population density is about 50 persons per km² (130/sq. mi.) in the two northern regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, but falls to less than one person per km² (2.6/sq. mi.) elsewhere. 90% of the people live in less than 10% of the area, primarily along the coast. About 88% of the population is urban, mostly concentrated in the two largest cities, Tripoli and Benghazi. One third of the population is estimated to be under the age of 15. [2]

Berber and Arab constitute 97% of the population, the remaining 3% includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians. Sunni Muslim (official) constitute 97% of Libyans. [3]

No complete population or vital statistics registration exists in Libya. The estimates in this article are from the 2010 Revision of the World Population Prospects which was prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, unless otherwise indicated. [4]

UNDP Human Development Report Trends - 2010

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index measuring average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development - a long healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living; intended to capture the essential dimensions of the quality of human life or human development. According to the United Nations Development Programme's 2010 Human Development Report, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was ranked 53rd in the world.

With an HDI of 0.755 in 2010, Libya's score is broken down as follows:

Health: 0.863 (life expectancy at birth of 74.5 years)

Education: 0.697 (mean years of schooling, 7.3)

Income: 0.716 (GNI per capita 2008 PPP US$ 16,999) [5]

See the HDI 2010 report on Libya here.

The Fund for Peace ranking of Libya

In its 2010 Failed States Index, the Fund for Peace ranked Libya 111th in its assessment of the indicators of risk of war. [6]

This index is based upon twelve indicators:

Social Indicators

Economic Indicators

Political Indicators

See the Fund for Peace's country profile on the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya here.

Social Institutions and Gender Index

The most recent Social Institutions and Gender Index, published in the Gender, Institutions and Development Database in 2009 by the OECD ranks Libya 91st

Libya's sub-rankings:

Family Code:  67th

Civil Liberties: 103rd

Physical Integrity: 91st

Son Preference: 101st

Ownership rights: 79th

To learn more about the SIGI index, read about it on Wikigender.org here.

Or, build your own SIGI ranking here.

Sustainable Society Index - 2010

Libya ranks 113th out of 151 countries on the Sustainable Society Index.

This index is comprised of 24 indicators based on Human well-being, Environmental well-being, and Economic well-being.

Read more about the SSI here. 

Progress and the Arab Spring

The Arab Spring - a term that was inspired by Europe’s le Printemps des peuples or le Printemps des révolutions - refers to the wave of protests that started in Tunisia in December 2010 and expanded to other North-African and Middle-Eastern countries. Although the nature of the uprisings has varied from protests to revolution, all nations involved in the Spring are reacting to degrading socio-economic and political conditions in the MENA region.
Key nations involved in the Arab Spring include:

Protests of smaller sizes having media coverage also took place in Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman & Kuwait. Many of the countries involved in the Arab Spring showed a steady increase in GDP over the last five to ten years while their well-being indices were decreasing.[7]



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With this respect, the Arab Human Development Report (2009) also highlights how the widespread absence of human security in Arab countries undermines people’s options. The report argues that security in the Arab countries is often threatened by unjust political, social, and economic structures; by competition for power and resources among fragmented social groups. [8]

See the 2009 Arab Human Development Report here.

For each nation involved in the Arab Spring, Wikiprogress is showcasing a number of key indices, inspired by the OECD Better Life Initiative – Compendium of Well-Being Indicators, to reflect a variety of dimensions of progress.
This Compendium represents one of the first attempts to respond to the demand for comparative information on the conditions of people's lives in developed market economies. Previous contributions in this field have focused on the conditions of poorer countries and on a more narrow range of dimensions (e.g. Human Development Index).[9]

Material living conditions

Income and wealth

According to the 2011 Global Peace Index, Libya’s GDP per capita is 12110 US$ as compared to 9714 US$ in 2009, according to World Bank data. LibyaGraph4.PNGThis number is the highest in North African countries, according to the same source. [10]

Jobs and earnings

The World Bank Database does not include data on unemployment in Libya. However, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, as reported by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Libya’s unemployment rate increased from 30% to 36% between 2007 and 2011. LibyaGraph2.PNG [11]

According to the 2006 census, Libya is struggling with a high unemployment rate due to its poor ability to generate jobs. To lessen its dependence on oil and the resulting vulnerability to shocks from volatile commodity prices, as well as counter the high unemployment rate, Libya embarked on reforms aimed at rationalising its oversized, low performing public sector; and promoting trade, the private sector and foreign investment. [12]

The opening up of Libya’s economy, following the removal of US and UN economic sanctions in 2004, triggered the interest of foreign investors attracted by opportunities in energy and construction, and to a lesser extent by the new and promising tourism sector. According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development 2009 World Investment Report, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Libya quadrupled between 2005 and 2008. According the World Bank data, this number had a sharp drop in 2009 going from 41113 Billion US$ in 2008 to 17110 Billion US$ a year later. [13] LibyaGraph3.PNG

The country suffers from a business environment that many call unpredictable and cumbersome, with weak coordination, a complex decision-making process and inadequate human skills and manpower for the new private sector demands. Coupled with opaque legal and institutional frameworks, these structural constraints significantly hinder Libya’s efforts to diversify its economy.[14]

On the other side, the labour code and land regulations hardly encourage new businesses and private ventures. The 2009 African Competitiveness Report ranked Libya 120th out of 134 countries in terms of wage determination and human resources management policies. [15] Labour laws lay down minimum wage rates, number of work hours, night shift rules, and dismissal regulations, which have often been criticised, notably by the US Heritage Foundation, for hindering employment and productivity growth. Mandatory quotas for Libyan employees by foreign firms are also reported as a limiting factor which affects productivity, although it has helped reduce the high unemployment rate. [16]

Efforts were made to reform the labour and land regulations but these were still slow. On the 13th-15th December 2009 UNDP Libya collaborated with the African Union Commission, the National Organisation of Libyan Youth (NOLY), World Bank and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to organise a workshop aimed at mobilising the African diaspora to promote youth employment opportunities in Africa. One proposed action recommended by the workshop is the establishment of a Global Marketplace for Africa Diaspora Action. Under this scheme, active and effective African diaspora groups could be selected for small grants to carry out projects that target problems associated with youth unemployment. [17]However, when it came to implementation, the Libyan government was not responsive. Still, and according to the 2010 African Economic Outlook report on Libya, social attitudes still hinder women’s participation in the labour market (Libyan women have one of the lowest female-to-male participation ratios), and in business and politics, contrasting with the seemingly strong support for women’s involvement in economic and social activities from the country’s leadership. [18]

Housing

While the OECD uses the number of rooms and dwellings with basic facilities indicators to measure housing satisfaction, no similar indicators are used for developing countries. However, several housing problems exist in Libya. In January 2011, Al-Ahram reported that frustrations over corruption and incompetence in government housing schemes for poor families spills over into protests across Libya. [19] The Libyan government has run subsided housing projects for poor families in several cities for years. However local authorities in some projects postponed the delivery of hundreds of housing units to the owners who have already signed contracts and paid most of the instalments. [20]A statement released by the National Front for Salvation of Libya on January 15th, 2011, an opposition movement established in 1981, described the frustration of the protesters in Bani Walid: “Bani Walid has no basic services; thousands of people are without houses and the local authority is corrupted, it only delivers services with bribes. Nothing will make Bani Walid calm but freedom, justice and transparency.” [21]Information and videos posted on Twitter and YouTube show hundreds of Libyans protesting in the east of the country in the cities of Bidaa, Darna and Sabhaa to express frustration with housing corruption. [22]

Quality of life

Health status

Libya has had a steady Life Expectancy Rate increasing from 74 to 75 between 2004 and 2009 according to the 2009 World Bank Development Indicators. [23]Total expenditure on health per capita is 709 US$ per capita as reported in 2009 by the Global Health Observatory. [24] Basic health care is provided to all citizens. Health, training, rehabilitation, education, housing, family issues, and disability and old-age benefits are all regulated by “Decision No. 111” (dated December 9, 1999) of the General People’s Committee on the Promulgation of the By-Law Enforcement Law No. 20 of 1998 on the Social Care Fund. The health care system is not purely state-run but rather a mixed system of public and private care. Childhood immunisation is almost universal. [25]

The country’s major hospitals are in Tripoli and Benghazi, and private health clinics and diagnostic centres offering newer equipment and better service, compete with the public sector. However, if they can afford to, many Libyans nonetheless travel to either Tunisia or Europe if they need sophisticated medical treatment. [26] In 1985 about one-third of the doctors in the Libya were native-born, with the remainder being primarily expatriate foreigners. The number of hospital beds tripled in this same time period. Among major health hazards endemic in the country in the 1970s were typhoid and paratyphoid, infectious hepatitis, leishmaniasis, rabies, meningitis, schistosomiasis, venereal diseases, and the principal childhood ailments. [27]During the Libyan Revolution, the World Health Organisation and other relief agencies have stepped up the delivery of drugs, surgical supplies, and personnel to treat large numbers of casualties and people affected by the escalation of hostilities in Libya. [28]WHO spokesperson Fadela Chaib told reporters on 22 March, “The conflict has led to acute shortages of essential medicines, including anaesthesia drugs. This poses particular problems given the current high rate of patients admitted to hospitals with acute trauma injuries that require urgent surgical intervention.” [29]

Work and life balance

Data has not been found on the time Libyans devote for leisure and personal care. When it comes to leisure institutions, however, for many years there have been no public theatres, and only a few cinemas showing foreign films. The tradition of folk culture is still alive and well and widespread with bands performing in festivals both inside and outside Libya. The main output of Libyan television is devoted to showing various styles of traditional Libyan music. Libyan television programmes are mostly in Arabic with a 30-minute news broadcast each evening in English and French. [30]

The government maintains strict control over all media outlets. A new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found Libya’s media the most tightly controlled in the Arab world. [31]

Education and skills

According to the OECD African Economic Outlook of 2010, the Education sector in Libya was undergoing substantial reform in a bid to promote human and Sustainable development. Primary education is both free and compulsory in Libya. [32]

Libya was making investment in reforming its higher education and scientific research. Several educational exchange programmes with European and American higher education institutions have been concluded. With more than 1 000 Libyans enrolled in US graduate schools in 2008. [33]In 2001, public expenditures on education amounted to about 2.7 percent of the Gross domestic product (GDP). This number reached 4% in 2011, according to the Global Peace Index, as reported from UNESCO. [34] LibyaGraph5.PNG

In the early 1980s, estimates of total literacy were between 50 and 60 percent, or about 70 percent for men and 35 percent for women, but the gender gap has since narrowed, due to the increased female school attendance. The 2001 Human Development Report (HDR) estimates that the adult literacy rate climbed to about 80.8 percent, or 91.3 percent for males and 69.3 percent for females. [35]Ten years later, according to UNESCO, the Adult Literacy rate in 2011 is 88.4%. [36]LibyaGraph77.PNG

Other numbers:

Social connections

Social media and networks have been an important tool in the Arab Spring, mainly in Tunisia and Egypt. Data has not been found on this subject with respect to Libya. Data sources to help understand this topic are welcomed.

Civic engagement and governance

Democracy and transparency

The 2011 Global Peace Index data shows that Libya saw the most significant drop – falling 83 places from last year. It ranks 143 out of 153 countries according to the GPI 2011 Report. [40] LibyaGraph6.PNGIt was given a status of “Not Free” by the Freedom House since it is not an electoral democracy. According to their Web site, power in Libya theoretically lies with a system of people’s committees and the indirectly elected General People’s Congress, but in practice those structures are manipulated to ensure the continued dominance of Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi, who holds no official title. [41]

Political parties are illegal and the government strictly monitors political activity. Organising or joining anything akin to a political party is punishable by long prison terms and even the death penalty. [42]Libya had a very low Political Participation ranking of 1.11/10 as reported by the EIU Democracy Index. [43]The government does not uphold freedom of assembly. Those demonstrations that are allowed to take place are typically meant to support the aims of the regime.

According to Amnesty International, prisoners’ relatives who gather weekly in the city of Benghazi are subject to harassment, intimidation, and arrest. [44]Human Rights Watch reported in 2009 that 500 political prisoners remained in custody despite having been acquitted of all charges or served their full prison sentences. [45]According to Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption perceptions Index [The Corruption Perception Index draws on multiple expert opinion surveys that poll perceptions of public sector corruption scoring countries on a scale from 0 - 10, with 0 indicating high levels of perceived corruption and 10 indicating low levels of perceived corruption], Libya scores 2.2/10, making it a highly corrupt country. [46]

Civil Society

The Freedom House gives Libya a score of 1.8 out of 5 based on its political rights and civic voice indicator. Positive developments have helped non-governmental organisations to become more involved in the country. [47]After years of refusal, Tripoli finally gave Human Rights Watch permission to issue reports on rights in Libya, and in November 2009, the General People’s Congress announced a new reform that would, if adopted, allow for non-partisan organisations to be established and operate. The reform has not been applied yet. The law that still exits does allow for the establishment of non-governmental organisations, but those that have been granted authorisation to operate are directly or indirectly linked to the government. There are no independent labour unions. [48]When it comes to freedom of press, Libya’s ranks 63.5/100 according to GPI’s Freedom of the Press Index. [49]The Libyan regime remained hostile to foreign criticism and other perceived affronts. In 2009, the authorities nationalised the country’s only quasi-independent media group, Al-Ghad, founded by Saif al-Islam in 2007. [50]

When it comes to female participation in civil society, according to the Freedom House, an independent women's rights movement might be more successful in gaining credibility and sympathy among the public, but the authorities do not permit any genuinely independent organisations or political groups to exist. Membership in any group or organisation that is not sanctioned by the state is punishable by death under Law No. 71 of 1972. There are a number of women's organisations in Libya that purport to be independent, but they are all in fact closely linked to the state. Consequently, their efforts to promote women's emancipation have yielded little. [51]

Environmental quality

According to the World Bank data, Libya’s CO2 emissions (kt) has increased between 2006 and 2010 to reach 57,286.6 kt in 2010  Sparkline1.PNGmaking air highly polluted. This number is the third highest in North Africa after Algeria and Egypt. [52]

Personal security

In the wake of the Libyan revolution, it is logical to say that there are personal security issues. But before its start, no national or international statistics were found on the number of intentional homicides or self-reported victimisation, the two being the indicators OECD uses to measure personal security on OECD countries.

Subjective well-being

According to the Gallup Centre, indices related to well-being, in general, have shown a sharp decline in the last five years. [53]However, we didn't find specific data on Libya with respect to Subjective Well-being. Data sources to help understand this topic are welcomed.

Other data

Official Statistics

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In the news

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ World Bank Data and Statistics (2001), World Bank, Washington DC, USA. Full data here
  2. ↑ Chapin Metz E. (1987), Libya: A Country Study, GPO for the Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA. Full country study available here
  3. ↑ CIA World Factbook - Libya (2011). Full Libya page here
  4. ↑ World Population Prospects Revision (2010), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, Population Estimates and Projections Section, New York, USA. Related press release available here
  5. ↑ Human Development Indicators Report (2010), United Nations Development Programme, New York, USA. Full country profile of human development indicators available here
  6. ↑ Failed States Index Report (2010), Fund for Peace, Washington DC, USA. Full report here
  7. ↑ Clifton J. and Morales L. (2011), Egyptians', Tunisians' Wellbeing Plummets Despite GDP Gains: Traditional economic indicators paint an incomplete picture of life in these countries, The Gallup Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Full article here
  8. ↑ UNDP (2009), Arab Human Development Reprot: Challenges to Human Security in the Arab Countries, New York, USA. Full report available here]
  9. ↑ The OECD Better Life Initiative: Compendium of OECD Better Life Initiatives (2011), OECD, Paris, France. Full report here
  10. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  11. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  12. ↑ OECD African Economic Outlook, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (2010), Part 3, Country Notes, OECD Development Centre, Paris , France. Country notes available here
  13. ↑ World Investment Report (2009), UN Conference on Trade and Development. Full report here
  14. ↑ OECD African Economic Outlook, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (2010), Part 3, Country Notes, OECD Development Centre, Paris , France. Country notes vailable here
  15. ↑ The African Competitiveness Report (2009), World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland. Full report available here
  16. ↑ OECD African Economic Outlook, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (2010), Part 3, Country Notes, OECD Development Centre, Paris , France. Country notes available here
  17. ↑ UNDP Libya Online News Room (2011). Event details here
  18. ↑ OECD African Economic Outlook, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (2010), Part 3, Country Notes, OECD Development Centre, Paris , France. Country notes available here
  19. ↑ Abdel-Baky M. (2011), Libya protest over housing enters its third day, Al-Ahram Newspaper, Cairo, Egypt.Full article available here
  20. ↑ Abdel-Baky M. (2011), Libya protest over housing enters its third day, Al-Ahram Newspaper, Cairo, Egypt.Full article available here
  21. ↑ Abdel-Baky M. (2011), Libya protest over housing enters its third day, Al-Ahram Newspaper, Cairo, Egypt.Full article available here
  22. ↑ Abdel-Baky M. (2011), Libya protest over housing enters its third day, Al-Ahram Newspaper, Cairo, Egypt.Full article available here
  23. ↑ World Development Indicators report (2009), World Bank, Wahington DC, USA.
  24. ↑ WHO Global Health Observatory (2009), WHO Representation, Tripoli, Libya. Full Libya page here
  25. ↑ Library of Congress Federal Research Division (2005), Libya Country Profile, Washington DC, USA Full profile here
  26. ↑ Library of Congress Federal Research Division (2005), Libya Country Profile, Washington DC, USA Full profile here
  27. ↑ Library of Congress Federal Research Division (2005), Libya Country Profile, Washington DC, USA Full profile here
  28. ↑ Zarocostas J. (2011), Libya’s health system struggles after exodus of foreign medical staff, British Medical Journal, BMJ 2011;342:d1879.
  29. ↑ Radio des Nations Unies (2011), Extraits sonores : Elisabeth Byrs, porte-parole de l'OCHA, Fadela Chaib. porte-parole de l'OMS ; mise en perspective : Martial Assème, New York, USA. United Nations Radio
  30. ↑ The Libya Television Official Website here
  31. ↑ The Committee to Protect Journalists Special Reports (2006), Ten Most Censored Countries, New York, USA. Full report available here
  32. ↑ OECD African Economic Outlook, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (2010), Part 3, Country Notes, OECD Development Centre, Paris , France. Country notes available here
  33. ↑ Sawahel W. (2009), Libya: New era of higher education reform, University World News, Washington DC, USA. Full article here
  34. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  35. ↑ Library of Congress Federal Research Division (2005), Libya Country Profile, Washington DC, USA Full profile here
  36. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  37. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  38. ↑ World Bank Data (2011). Full Libya data available here
  39. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  40. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  41. ↑ Freedom in the World 2010 (2010), The Freedom House - Libya Country Report, Washington DC, USA. Full report available here
  42. ↑ Freedom in the World 2010 (2010), The Freedom House - Libya Country Report, Washington DC, USA. Full report available here
  43. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  44. ↑ Freedom in the World 2010 (2010), The Freedom House - Libya Country Report, Washington DC, USA. Full report available here
  45. ↑ Libya Country Summary (2010), Human Rights Watch, New York, USA. Full country summary here
  46. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  47. ↑ Freedom in the World 2010 (2010), The Freedom House - Libya Country Report, Washington DC, USA. Full report available here
  48. ↑ Freedom in the World 2010 (2010), The Freedom House - Libya Country Report, Washington DC, USA. Full report available here
  49. ↑ Global Peace Index Report (2011), Institute for Economics and Peace, New York, USA. Full report available here
  50. ↑ Freedom in the World 2010 (2010), The Freedom House - Libya Country Report, Washington DC, USA. Full report available here
  51. ↑ Pargeter A. (2010), Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa - A special report on Libya, The Freedom House, Washington DC, USA. Full report available here
  52. ↑ World Bank Data (2011). Full Libya data available here
  53. ↑ Clifton J. and Morales L. (2011), Egyptians', Tunisians' Wellbeing Plummets Despite GDP Gains: Traditional economic indicators paint an incomplete picture of life in these countries, The Gallup Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Full article available here
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