MigrantoLibyan Diaspora
156.9K Libyans live abroad — the #140 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 56% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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 destination region
Middle East is the leading destination region at 50%
78.3K
40.2K
24.3K
10.7K
2.8K
474
39
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Libya.
Turkey is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Turkey has increased by 134% since 2015, rising from 12.6K to 29.5K in 9 years.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 50% to 19%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
The share of emigrants going to Europe has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Europe has shifted from 53.2% to 25.6% since 1990.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
5 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Jordan, Mali, Norway — Jordan rose from outside the top 20 to rank #3.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 78841 |
| 1995 | 81041 |
| 2000 | 80451 |
| 2005 | 81361 |
| 2010 | 99826 |
| 2015 | 119270 |
| 2020 | 145103 |
| 2024 | 156874 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| 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 destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Libya as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Libya
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Libyans move to?
Most Libyans have moved to Turkey, Italy and Jordan — these three countries account for about 56% of all Libyans living abroad.
How many Libyans live abroad?
Around 156.9K Libyans live abroad, making it the #140-largest emigrant population in the world.
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.
How has emigration from Libya changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Libya has grown from 119.3K to 156.9K people, a growth of about 32%.
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