Population in largest city in Libya
Libya: Population in largest city was 1.20 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in largest city in Libya, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, population in largest city in Libya stood at 1.20 million. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in largest city in Libya peaked at 1.20 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 174,229, in 1960.
Libya ranks 117th of 153 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 243,293 | 174,229 | 358,572 | 10 |
| 1970s | 550,528 | 398,449 | 644,811 | 10 |
| 1980s | 747,821 | 662,099 | 839,807 | 10 |
| 1990s | 954,900 | 862,291 | 1.01 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.05 million | 1.02 million | 1.09 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.13 million | 1.10 million | 1.16 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.18 million | 1.17 million | 1.20 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More urban development data for Libya
- Population in the largest city 18.4% (2025)
- Population density 4.15 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 20.01 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.20 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidel 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in largest city in Libya?
- Population in largest city in Libya was 1.20 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in largest city recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 1.20 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in largest city recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 174,229 in 1960.
- How does Libya rank for population in largest city?
- Libya ranks 117th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in largest city rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.