Lebanon: Interim Central Bank Governor Steps Up
The interim leader of Lebanon's central bank faces daunting challenges: A devaluated currency, crippled banking system, triple-digit inflation and soaring poverty.
Lebanon GDP and Economic Data
Includes Lebanon real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
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.
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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 (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2019* |
| 0.12% | 0.05% | 0.07% | 0.08% | 0.07% |
*Estimate
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 2.9%
- industry: 14.1%
- services: 74.7%
(2018 estimate)
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
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
Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 12.2 billion | USD 11.5 billion | USD 9.7 billion |
Source
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)
Export commodities
Jewelry, base metals, chemicals, consumer goods, fruit and vegetables, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper
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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
Source
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
Source
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
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2018 |
| 42.3% | 73.7% | 86% | 88.6% |
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)
Source
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)