
Small Is Beautiful
Encouraged by government stimulus programs, banks are finding new ways to finance SMEs. Once the economy recovers, will the surge of interest recede?
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Lebanon economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Lebanon best banks and safest banks are also available.
Lebanon's economy spirals as regional tensions exacerbate domestic political turmoil.
USD 52.4 billion (2018)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
USD 56.4 billion (2018, estimate)
Intl$ 89.5 billion (2018, estimate)
2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
9.3% | 9.2% | 10.1% | 8% |
0.9% |
2.7% | 2.6% |
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | ||
1.9% | 0.4% | 1.6% | 0.6% | 0.3% |
*Estimate
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2019* |
0.12% | 0.05% | 0.07% | 0.08% | 0.07% |
*Estimate
(2018 estimate)
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
-3.7% | -0.8% | 4.5% | 6.1% | 3.1% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | 2019* |
140.7% | 146.1% | 149% | 151% | 155.1% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | 2019* |
-7.5% | -8.9% | -8.6% | -11% | -9.8% |
*Estimate
Standard & Poor's: B-
Moody's: Caa1
Standard & Poor's / Moody's
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 12.2 billion | USD 11.5 billion | USD 9.7 billion |
-25.6 % (2018 estimate)
23.3% (2018)
0.02% (2018)
0.27% (2018)
Jewelry, base metals, chemicals, consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
Petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals
China 13%, UAE 9.9%, South Africa 7.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Syria 6.5%, Iraq 5.8%, Turkey 4.6% (2017)
China 10.2%, Italy 8.9%, Greece 7%, Germany 6.6%, US 6.3%, Turkey 4.5%, Egypt 4.2%(2017)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 2,568 million | USD 2,522 million | USD 2,880 million |
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 1,005 million | USD 1,317 million | USD 1,058 million |
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 22 million | USD 2,470 | USD -598 million | USD 565 million |
N/A
N/A
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking:
143 out of 190 countries
Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 151 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 164 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 127 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 110 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 132 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 114 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 116 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 153 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 131 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 151 out of 190 countries
88 out of 141 countries
(2019)
Ranking: 154 / Score: 51.1 (Mostly unfree)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Muslim 54% (27% Sunni, 27% Shia), Christian 40.5% (includes 21% Maronite Catholic, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5% Greek Catholic, 6.5% other Christian), Druze 5.6%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, and Mormons (2012 est.)
1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2016* | 2021* |
2.703 million | 3.235 million | 4.341 million | 4.597 million | 4.822 million |
*Estimate
1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2015 |
42% | 74% | 86% | 88% |
Total population: 93.9%
Male: 96%
Female: 91.8% (2015 est.)
(age 15 and over can read and write)
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 4 (2017)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Fixed 20.04% Mobile 92.16% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)