Source
Central bank

Central Bank of Lebanon

International Reserves

USD 52.4 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 56.4 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 89.5 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
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

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 9,257.3 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 14,684.1 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0.12% 0.05% 0.07% 0.08% 0.07%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 2.9% 
  • industry: 14.1% 
  • services: 74.7%

(2018 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-3.7% -0.8% 4.5% 6.1% 3.1%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017* 2018* 2019*
140.7% 146.1% 149% 151% 155.1%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017* 2018* 2019*
-7.5% -8.9% -8.6% -11% -9.8%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: B-

Moody's: Caa1

Standard & Poor's / Moody's 

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
USD 12.2 billion USD 11.5 billion USD 9.7 billion
Largest companies

Bank Audi, Blom Bank.

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -14.4 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-25.6 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

23.3% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.02% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.27% (2018)

Total exports

USD 18.9 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Jewelry, base metals, chemicals, consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper

Total imports

USD 33.6 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals

Exports - major partners

China 13%, UAE 9.9%, South Africa 7.5%, Saudi Arabia 6.5%, Syria 6.5%, Iraq 5.8%, Turkey 4.6% (2017)

Imports - major partners

China 10.2%, Italy 8.9%, Greece 7%, Germany 6.6%, US 6.3%, Turkey 4.5%, Egypt 4.2%(2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 2,568 million USD 2,522 million USD 2,880 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 1,005 million USD 1,317 million USD 1,058 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
USD 22 million USD 2,470 USD -598 million USD 565 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

Best countries for doing business

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

Global competitiveness ranking

88 out of 141 countries

(2019)

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 154 / Score: 51.1 (Mostly unfree)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+2

Total area

10,400 sq km

Capital

Beirut

Currency

Lebanese pounds (LBP)

Government type

Parliamentary republic

Languages

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

Religions

Muslim 57.7% (28.7% Sunni, 28.4% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 36.2% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 5.2%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2017 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015* 2020*
2.7 million 3.24 million 4.34 million 4.85 million 6.02 million

*Estimate 

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
42.3% 73.7% 86% 88.6%
Population median age

31.3 years

Population growth rate

-3.13% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

77.9 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 93.9% 
Male: 96% 
Female: 91.8%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

0.1% (last available estimate, 2011)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

31.8 (last available estimate, 2011)

Freedom House rating

Partly Free
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 4 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 13% Mobile: 64.5% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

78.18 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

Beirut: 53rd (2019)

CO2 emissions

3.84 metric tons per capita (2014)

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