World median is the middle country on each statistic: half of all countries with data are above it, half below. It is not an average, so it is never pulled up or down by giants or microstates.
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The median country fits inside Libya 16 times
Libya: 1,759,540 km² (2024) · World median: 111,370 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Libya’s coastline is 4 times as long as the median country’s
Libya: 1,770 km (2026 edition) · World median: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The median country’s highest peak towers 68 m above Libya’s
Libya: 2,267 m (2026 edition) · World median: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 38% of the median country, versus 8.7% of Libya
Libya: 8.7% (2024) · World median: 37.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Libya and the median country are nearly identical here
Libya: 7.46 million (2025) · World median: 7.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The median country is 23 times as densely populated as Libya
Libya: 4 per km² (2025) · World median: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Libya are 2.9 cm taller than in the median country
Libya: 176.4 cm (2019) · World median: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Libya are 2.0 cm taller than in the median country
Libya: 162.6 cm (2019) · World median: 160.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the median country is 3.9 years older than in Libya
Libya: 27.2 years (2023) · World median: 31.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Libya have 0.4 more children on average than in the median country
Libya: 2.3 children per woman (2024) · World median: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
8.6% of people in the median country are 65 or older, versus 5.2% in Libya
Libya: 5.2% (2025) · World median: 8.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Libya hosts 90 times as many refugees per resident as the median country
Libya: 74.1 per 1,000 (2025) · World median: 0.8 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Libya and the median country are practically level
Libya: 0 (2026) · World median: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Libya and the median country are practically level
Libya: 1 (2026) · World median: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Libya’s economy is 6% larger than the median country’s
Libya: $48.1 billion (2025) · World median: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The median country produces 28% more per person than Libya
Libya: Int$16,521 (2025) · World median: Int$21,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Libya: no data · World median: 34.4 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Libya: no data · World median: 1.6% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 19% in Libya, versus 5.1% in the median country
Libya: 18.8% (2025) · World median: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Libya spends 3.6% of its GDP on the military, the median country 1.8%
Libya: 3.6% (2023) · World median: 1.8% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Libya: no data · World median: 17% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The median country’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Libya’s
Libya: 39% (2025) · World median: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Libya and the median country are nearly identical here
Libya: $470 (2023) · World median: $470 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the median country live 3.5 years longer than in Libya
Libya: 71.1 years (2024) · World median: 74.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the median country is 60% more likely to die before turning one than in Libya
Libya: 7.9 per 1,000 (2024) · World median: 12.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Libya has 22% more doctors per person than the median country
Libya: 2 per 1,000 (2017) · World median: 1.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Libya has 45% more hospital beds per person than the median country
Libya: 3.5 per 1,000 (2022) · World median: 2.4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in the median country is 2.3 times that in Libya
Libya: 4.4 per 100k (2023) · World median: 10 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
34% of adults in Libya are obese, versus 24% in the median country
Libya: 33.5% (2024) · World median: 24% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Libya smoke, versus 19% in the median country
Libya: 24.2% (2024) · World median: 19% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the median country rate their lives 0.10 points higher than in Libya
Libya: 5.73 (2025) · World median: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the median country drink 1,893 times as much alcohol as in Libya
Libya: 0.0023 litres (2023) · World median: 4.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The median country has 29% more meat per person than Libya
Libya: 43.7 kg (2023) · World median: 56.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The median country has 71 kcal more food per person per day than Libya
Libya: 2,867 kcal (2023) · World median: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Libya: no data · World median: 1,974 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the median country went to school 2.2 years longer than in Libya
Libya: 7.8 years (2023) · World median: 9.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Libya: no data · World median: 0.34 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Libya has 2 more World Heritage sites than the median country (5 against 3)
Libya: 5 (2026) · World median: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The median country has won 4 Olympic medals, Libya none
Libya: 0 (2026 edition) · World median: 4 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
Libya and the median country are practically level
Libya: 82% (2024) · World median: 82% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the median country is 6.9 times as fast as in Libya
Libya: 23 Mbps (2026) · World median: 161 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in the median country have electricity, versus 77% in Libya
Libya: 77.4% (2024) · World median: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Libya live in cities, versus 64% in the median country
Libya: 88% (2025) · World median: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Libya has 193 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the median country 115
Libya: 193 (2022) · World median: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Libya: no data · World median: 2,141 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the median country fly 63% more passengers per resident than those from Libya
Libya: 0.15 (2023) · World median: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of the median country, but only 0.1% of Libya
Libya: 0.1% (2024) · World median: 32.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Libya emits 3 times as much CO₂ as someone in the median country
Libya: 8.8 t (2024) · World median: 3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
31% of the median country’s electricity is renewable, versus 0.0% in Libya
Libya: 0% (2024) · World median: 30.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Libya carries 3% more fine dust than in the median country
Libya: 17.1 µg/m³ (2024) · World median: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Libya: no data · World median: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Libya are 2.8 times as deadly as in the median country
Libya: 51.4 per 100k (2023) · World median: 18.6 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Libya and the median country are practically level
Libya: 23°C (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 23°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The median country gets 52 times as much rain as Libya
Libya: 19 mm (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Libya bigger than the median country?
Libya is larger. The median country fits inside Libya 16 times.
Which has more people, Libya or the median country?
Libya and the median country are nearly identical here (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Libya or the median country?
People in the median country live 3.5 years longer than in Libya. Life expectancy at birth is 71.1 years in Libya and 74.6 in the median country.
Are people taller in Libya or the median country?
Men in Libya are 2.9 cm taller than in the median country (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
