Libya has a small population in a large land area. Population density is about 50 persons per km² (80/sq. mi.) in the two northern regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, but falls to less than one person per km² (1.6/sq. mi.) elsewhere. Ninety percent of the people live in less than 10% of the area, primarily along the coast. More than half the population is urban, mostly concentrated in the two largest cities, Tripoli and Benghazi. 50% of the population is estimated to be under age 15.

Native Libyans are primarily a mixture of Berbers and Arabs. Small Tuareg and Tebu tribal groups in southern Libya are nomadic or seminomadic. Among foreign residents, the largest groups are citizens of other African nations, including North Africans (primarily Egyptians and Tunisians), West Africans and Sub-Saharan Africans.

Population: 5,115,450
note: includes 162,669 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 938,476; female 899,139)
15-64 years: 60% (male 2; female 1,000,000)
65 years and over: 4% (male 97,770; female 99,690) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.42% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 27.68 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 3.51 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 30.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.45 years
male: 73.34 years
female: 77.66 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.71 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Libyan(s)
adjective: Libyan

Ethnic groups: Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians

Religions: Sunni Muslim 97%

Languages: Arabic, Tamazight, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.2%
male: 87.9%
female: 63% (1995 est.)

See also : Libya