MigrantoLibyan Diaspora
156.9K Libyans live abroad — 2% of the population of Libya
Libyan diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 56% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 29478 |
| Italy | 29343 |
| Jordan | 28839 |
| Israel | 19768 |
| Canada | 10737 |
| Tunisia | 10180 |
| Malta | 6607 |
| Sudan | 3742 |
| Australia | 2812 |
| Egypt | 2564 |
| Algeria | 2364 |
| Chad | 1708 |
| Mali | 1421 |
| Morocco | 1376 |
| Norway | 845 |
| Greece | 693 |
| Hungary | 466 |
| Denmark | 422 |
| Bulgaria | 404 |
| Poland | 398 |
| Finland | 293 |
| Chile | 266 |
| Niger | 258 |
| South Africa | 255 |
| Cyprus | 238 |
| Serbia | 220 |
| South Sudan | 162 |
| Mauritania | 161 |
| Croatia | 132 |
| Venezuela | 120 |
| Portugal | 119 |
| Slovakia | 95 |
| Luxembourg | 92 |
| Panama | 69 |
| Slovenia | 63 |
| Guinea | 40 |
| Sri Lanka | 39 |
| Namibia | 37 |
| Costa Rica | 16 |
| Iceland | 11 |
| Estonia | 9 |
| Lithuania | 5 |
| Latvia | 4 |
| Bolivia | 3 |
| Liechtenstein | 0 |
By region
50% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
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Key facts
The Libyan diaspora in numbers
The community in Turkey is growing fastest
The number of Libyans living in Turkey has grown 134% since 2015, from 12.6K to 29.5K.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 50% to 19%.
The share of the diaspora living in Europe has declined since 1990
53.2% of the diaspora lived in Europe in 1990, compared with 25.6% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
5 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Jordan, Mali, Norway. Jordan climbed from outside the top 20 to #3.
Libyan diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 78841 |
| 1995 | 81041 |
| 2000 | 80451 |
| 2005 | 81361 |
| 2010 | 99826 |
| 2015 | 119270 |
| 2020 | 145103 |
| 2024 | 156874 |
Largest communities over time
Libyans living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Turkey | Italy | Jordan | Israel | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3072 | 39187 | 3 | 20157 | 510 |
| 1995 | 3072 | 39245 | 373 | 21149 | 957 |
| 2000 | 3072 | 37888 | 743 | 19679 | 1717 |
| 2005 | 4940 | 36482 | 2512 | 17825 | 2522 |
| 2010 | 6929 | 35188 | 12193 | 16205 | 5175 |
| 2015 | 12602 | 33769 | 21875 | 17323 | 8384 |
| 2020 | 25904 | 32689 | 25975 | 18672 | 8394 |
| 2024 | 29478 | 29343 | 28839 | 19768 | 10737 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Libyans in each country has changed since the selected year
Libyans among immigrants in other countries
Where Libyans make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Libyans live outside Libya?
Around 156.9K Libyans live abroad, the world's #140 largest diaspora.
Where do most Libyans abroad live?
Most Libyans live in Turkey, Italy and Jordan — these three countries account for about 56% of all Libyans living abroad.
Which country has the largest Libyan population outside Libya?
Turkey is home to the largest Libyan community abroad — 29.5K people, about 19% of all Libyans living abroad.
What share of the population of Libya lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of Libya lives abroad — that's 156.9K out of a total population of 7.4M.
Is the Libyan diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Libyans living abroad has grown from 119.3K to 156.9K, about 32%.
Where does the data on the Libyan diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Libya who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Libya
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