
Lebanon in the World
Lebanon - Introduction 2022
top of pageBackground: As a result of its location at the crossroads of three continents, the area that is modern-day Lebanon is rich in cultural and religious diversity. This region was subject to various foreign conquests for much of its history, including by the Romans, Arabs, and Ottomans. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. From it the French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920, and it gained independence in 1943. Since then, Lebanon has experienced periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its historical position as a regional center for finance and trade, although that status has significantly diminished since the beginning of Lebanon’s economic crisis in 2019, which includes simultaneous currency, debt, and banking crises. The country's 1975-90 civil war, which resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has historically influenced Lebanon's foreign and domestic policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. Hizballah - a major Lebanese political party, militia, and US-designated foreign terrorist organization - and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.
Lebanon - Geography 2022
top of pageLocation: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
Geographic coordinates: 33 50 N, 35 50 E
Map reference: Middle East
Area
Total: 10,400 km²
Land: 10,230 km²
Water: 170 km²
Comparative: about one-third the size of Maryland
Land boundaries
Total: 484 km
Border countries: (2) Israel 81 km; Syria 403 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; the Lebanon Mountains experience heavy winter snows
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation
Highest point: Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 1,250 m
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Land use
Land use
Agricultural land: 63.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 13.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 23.3% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,040 km² (2012)
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 240 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 900 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 700 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 4.503 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes; dust storms, sandstorms
Geography
Note: smallest country in continental Asia; Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity
Lebanon - People 2022
top of pagePopulation
Distribution: the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density: 5,296,814 (2022 est.)
Growth rate: 0.66% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line: 27.4% (2011 est.)
Nationality
Noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendants of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Major language samples:
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)
The Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Muslim 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2020 est.)
Note: data represent the religious affiliation of the citizen population (data do not include Lebanon's sizable Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations); 18 religious sects recognized
Demographic profile
Age structure
Age structure
0-14 years: 20.75% (male 581,015/female 554,175)
15-24 years: 14.98% (male 417,739/female 401,357)
25-54 years: 46.69% (male 1,296,250/female 1,257,273)
55-64 years: 9.62% (male 250,653/female 275,670)
65 years and over: 7.96% (male 187,001/female 248,479) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 59.3
Youth dependency ratio: 44
Elderly dependency ratio: 15.3
Potential support ratio: 6.5 (2021 est.)
Median age
Total: 33.7 years
Male: 33.1 years
Female: 34.4 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.66% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 13.1 births/1000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 5.57 deaths/1000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.94 migrant(s)/1000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density
Urbanization
Urban population: 89.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: -1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas
Population: 2.421 million BEIRUT (capital) (2023)
Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil deterioration, erosion; desertification; species loss; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills; waste-water management
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 30.67 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 24.8 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 3.37 megatons (2020 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio: 29 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.04 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 7.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.45 deaths/1000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.76 years
Male: 77.36 years
Female: 80.23 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water source
Improved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
Unimproved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure: 8.7% of GDP (2019)
Physicians density: 2.21 physicians/1000 population (2019)
Hospital bed density: 2.7 beds/1000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
Improved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
Unimproved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: (2021 est.) <0.1%
Major infectious diseases
Note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Lebanon; as of 9 December 2022, Lebanon has reported a total of 1,220,831 cases of COVID-19 or 17,886.46 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 10,740 cumulative deaths or a rate of 157.35 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 1 December 2022, 49.9% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 32% (2016)
Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 1.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total: 38.2% (2020 est.)
Male: 47.5% (2020 est.)
Female: 28.9% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: 1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 95.1%
Male: 96.9%
Female: 93.3% (2018)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years (2014)
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 23.3%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 24.5%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 21.4% (2019)
Lebanon - Government 2022
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
Conventional short form: Lebanon
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
Local short form: Lubnan
Former: Greater Lebanon
Etymology: derives from the Semitic root "lbn" meaning "white" and refers to snow-capped Mount Lebanon
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital
Name: Beirut
Geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: derived from the Canaanite or Phoenician word "ber'ot," meaning "the wells" or "fountain," which referred to the site's accessible water table
Administrative divisions: 8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beqaa (Bekaa), Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord (North Lebanon), Liban-Sud (South Lebanon), Mont-Liban (Mount Lebanon), Nabatiye
Dependent areas
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution
History: drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic and introduced as a government bill to the National Assembly or proposed by at least 10 members of the Assembly and agreed upon by two thirds of its members; if proposed by the National Assembly, review and approval by two-thirds majority of the Cabinet is required; if approved, the proposal is next submitted to the Cabinet for drafting as an amendment; Cabinet approval requires at least two-thirds majority, followed by submission to the National Assembly for discussion and vote; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of a required two-thirds quorum of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president; amended several times, last in 2004
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: the father must be a citizen of Lebanon
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
Suffrage: 21 years of age; authorized for all men and women regardless of religion; excludes persons convicted of felonies and other crimes or those imprisoned; excludes all military and security service personnel regardless of rank
Executive branch
Chief of state: President Michel AWN (since 31 October 2016)
Head of government: Prime Minister Najib MIQATI (since 20 September 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and Parliament
Elections and appointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament with two-thirds majority vote in the first round and if needed absolute majority vote in a second round for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); last held on 31 October 2016 (next to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament; deputy prime minister determined during cabinet formation
Election results:
2022: on 15 December 2022, Parliament in its tenth session failed to elect a president; next vote scheduled in January 2023
2016: Michel AWN elected president in second round; National Assembly vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83 votes; note - in the initial election held on 23 April 2014, no candidate received the required two-thirds vote, and subsequent attempts failed because Parliament lacked the necessary quorum of 86 members to hold a vote; the president was finally elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016
Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Lebanese Parliament or Majlis al-Nuwab in Arabic, Chambre des députés in French (128 seats; members directly elected in multi-member constituencies by open list proportional representation vote, apportioned evenly between Christian and Muslims; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2026)
Election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by party/coalition - FPM 16, LF 14, Amal Movement 13, Hezbollah 13, PSP 9, FM (candidates did not run in 2022; members ran as independents) 8, Kata’ib Party 4, other 30, independent 21; composition - men 120, women 8, percent of women 6.3%
Note: Lebanon’s constitution states the Lebanese Parliament cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant
Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 8 chambers, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, a 10-member body headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament; members serve 5-year terms
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts
Political parties and leaders: Al-Ahbash or Association of Islamic Charitable Projects or AICP [Shaykh Hussam QARAQIRA]
Amal Movement ("Hope Movement") [Nabih BERRI]
Azm Movement [Najib MIQATI]
Ba’th Arab Socialist Party of Lebanon [leader disputed]
Free Patriotic Movement or FPM [Gibran BASSIL]
Future Movement Bloc or FM [Sa'ad al-HARIRI]
Hizballah [Hassan NASRALLAH]
Islamic Action Front or IAF [Sheikh Zuhayr al-JU’AYD]
Kata'ib Party [Sami GEMAYEL]
Lebanese Democratic Party [Talal ARSLAN]
Lebanese Forces or LF [Samir JA'JA]
Marada Movement [Sulayman FRANJIEH]
Progressive Socialist Party or PSP [Walid JUNBLATT]
Social Democrat Hunshaqian Party [Sabuh KALPAKIAN]
Syrian Social Nationalist Party or SSNP [Rabi BANAT]
Tashnaq or Armenian Revolutionary Federation [Hagop PAKRADOUNIAN]
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Wael HACHEM, Counselor (since 15 March 2021)
In the us chancery: 2,560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-6,300
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 939-6,324
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dorothy C. SHEA (since 11 March 2020)
From the us embassy: Awkar-Facing the Municipality, Main Street, Beirut
From the us mailing address: 6,070 Beirut Place, Washington DC 20,521-6,070
From the us telephone: [961] (04) 543-600
From the us FAX: [961] (4) 544-019
From the us email address and website:
Flag description: three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in the white band; the red bands symbolize blood shed for liberation, the white band denotes peace, the snow of the mountains, and purity; the green cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and represents eternity, steadiness, happiness, and prosperity
National symbols: cedar tree; national colors: red, white, green
National anthem
Name: "Kulluna lil-watan" (All Of Us, For Our Country!)
Lyrics and music: Rachid NAKHLE/Wadih SABRA
Note: adopted 1927; chosen following a nationwide competition
National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 5 (all cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales:
Lebanon - Economy 2022
top of pageEconomy overview
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$79.51 billion (2020 est.)
$99.76 billion (2019 est.)
$106.93 billion (2018 est.)
$99.76 billion (2019 est.)
$106.93 billion (2018 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real gdp growth rate:
1.5% (2017 est.)
1.7% (2016 est.)
0.2% (2015 est.)
1.7% (2016 est.)
0.2% (2015 est.)
Real gdp per capita:
$11,600 (2020 est.)
$14,600 (2019 est.)
$15,600 (2018 est.)
$14,600 (2019 est.)
$15,600 (2018 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 87.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 13.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.5% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 23.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -46.4% (2017 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 13.1% (2017 est.)
Services: 83% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: potatoes, milk, tomatoes, apples, oranges, olives, wheat, cucumbers, poultry, lemons
Industries: banking, tourism, real estate and construction, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating
Industrial production growth rate: -21.1% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 2.166 million (2016 est.)
Note: excludes as many as 1 million foreign workers and refugees
By occupation agriculture: 39% (2009 est.) NA
By occupation industry: NA
By occupation services: NA
Labor force
Unemployment rate: 9.7% (2007)
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 23.3%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 24.5%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 21.4% (2019)
Population below poverty line: 27.4% (2011 est.)
Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 31.8 (2011 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget
Revenues: $11.62 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $15.38 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-6.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 21.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt:
146.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
145.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
145.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Note: data cover central government debt and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment
Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices:
2.8% (2019 est.)
6% (2018 est.)
4.4% (2017 est.)
6% (2018 est.)
4.4% (2017 est.)
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance:
-$12.37 billion (2017 est.)
-$11.18 billion (2016 est.)
-$11.18 billion (2016 est.)
Exports:
$18.17 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$19.16 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$19.16 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Partners: Switzerland 27%, United Arab Emirates 15%, South Korea 11%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Kuwait 6% (2019)
Commodities: gold, jewelry, shotguns, diamonds, scrap copper (2019)
Imports:
$31.34 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$32.78 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$32.78 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Partners: United Arab Emirates 11%, China 10%, Italy 8%, Greece 8%, Turkey 7%, United States 6% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, jewelry, gold (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$55.42 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$54.04 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$54.04 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt external:
$33.077 billion (2019 est.)
$33.655 billion (2018 est.)
$33.655 billion (2018 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates:
Lebanese pounds (LBP) per US dollar
1,517.5 (2020 est.)
1,513 (2019 est.)
1,506.5 (2018 est.)
1,507.5 (2014 est.)
1,507.5 (2013 est.)
1,517.5 (2020 est.)
1,513 (2019 est.)
1,506.5 (2018 est.)
1,507.5 (2014 est.)
1,507.5 (2013 est.)
Lebanon - Energy 2022
top of pageElectricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Installed generating capacity: 3.768 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 18,715,620,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 900 million kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission distribution losses: 2.219 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 94.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 268,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 268,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 168,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 151,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 25.838 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 563,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 25.275 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 53.528 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Lebanon - Communication 2022
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 875,480 (2020 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 4,288,221 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63 (2020 est.)
Telephone system
Broadcast media: 7 TV stations, 1 of which is state owned; more than 30 radio stations, 1 of which is state owned; satellite and cable TV services available; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible through partner stations (2019)
Internet
Country code: .lb
Users total: 6,825,442 (2020 est.)
Users percent of population: 84% (2020 est.)
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 432,070 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2020 est.)
Lebanon - Military 2022
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
3.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
3% of GDP (2020 est.)
4.7% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $3.6 billion)
5.1% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $4.1 billion)
4.6% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $3.95 billion)
3% of GDP (2020 est.)
4.7% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $3.6 billion)
5.1% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $4.1 billion)
4.6% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $3.95 billion)
Military and security forces: Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army Command (includes Presidential Guard Brigade, Land Border Regiments), Naval Forces, Air Forces; Ministry of Interior: Internal Security Forces Directorate (law enforcement; includes Mobile Gendarmerie), Directorate for General Security (DGS; border control, some domestic security duties) (2022)
Note: the commander of the LAF is also the commander of the Army; the LAF patrols external borders, while official border checkpoints are under the authority of Directorate for General Security
Military service age and obligation: 17-25 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)
Note: as of 2020, women comprised about 5% of the active duty military
Space program
Terrorist groups: Abdallah Azzam Brigades; al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; Asbat al-Ansar; HAMAS; Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Nusrah Front (Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham); Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T.
Lebanon - Transportation 2022
top of pageNational air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,981,937 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 56.57 million (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: OD
Airports
Total: 8 (2021)
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2021)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Heliports: 1 (2021)
Pipelines: 88 km gas (2013)
Railways
Total: 401 km (2017)
Standard gauge: 319 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
Narrowgauge: 82 km (2017) 1.050-m gauge
Note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006
Roadways
Total: 21,705 km (2017)
Waterways
Merchant marine
Total: 48
By type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 31, oil tanker 1, other 14 (2021)
Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Beirut, Tripoli
Container ports teus: Beirut (1,229,100) (2019)
Lebanon - Transnational issues 2022
top of pageDisputes international: Lebanon-Syria: lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; in March 2021, Syria signed a contract with a Russian company for oil and gas exploration in a maritime area Lebanon claims as its own based on a 2011 map sent to the UN
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 479,537 (Palestinian refugees) (2020); 825,081 (Syria) (2022)
IDPs: 7,000 (2020)
Stateless persons: undetermined (2016); note - tens of thousands of persons are stateless in Lebanon, including many Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Syrian Kurds denaturalized in Syria in 1962, children born to Lebanese women married to foreign or stateless men; most babies born to Syrian refugees, and Lebanese children whose births are unregistered
Illicit drugs: source country for amphetamine tablets destined for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Libya and Sudan; in 2021 authorities in various Near Eastern countries seized millions of captagon tablets that originated in or transited to Lebanon, prompting Lebanese authorities to conduct raids on captagon production facilities and trafficking rings within the country
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