Libya
Northern Africa
Africa
A very low-cost North African economy with low taxes (20% corporate) and strong human-development indicators, but a weak passport (~39 destinations), limited English and a long 10-year naturalization wait.
14
Overall score
Low · Penalty applied · 88% data coverage
Language
ArabicCurrency
LYDCitizenship
10 yearsPersonal tax
Up to 10% headlineCost of living
Consumer price level 34 (world = 100, 2025)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
47
Access
17%52Residence12%
35Citizenship and passport5%
52
Earning power
25%30Salary and work12%
73Buying power13%
46
Business and wealth
20%71Taxes7%
28Business8%
38Investment5%
46
Daily life
25%41Quality of life18%
58Education7%
13
Rights and institutions
13%23Freedom6%
5Rule of law7%
Severe safety risk (15) cut the overall score from 43 to 22.
Weak rights and institutions (13) cut the overall score from 22 to 14.
Pros
- Relative affordability score 83/100
- Internet use 82%
- Human development score 72/100
Cons
- Institutional environment score 15/100
- Passport mobility score 20/100
- Tax friendliness score 71/100
Best for
Applicants prepared to use local languagesCost-conscious residentsPeople with a confirmed local employment or study route
Score profile
Access
Residence
52
Citizenship
45
Passport
20
Earning power
Salary & work
30
Buying power
73
Cost of living
92
Economy
57
Business and wealth
Taxes
71
Personal tax
82
Corporate tax
43
Business
28
Investment
38
Wealth building
49
Daily life
Safety
15
Healthcare
64
Environment
40
Infrastructure
42
Education
58
HDI
72
Rights and institutions
Freedom
23
Rule of law
5
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
52Moderate
Migrant stock12.2% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality-1.74 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Employment residenceStudy residenceFamily reunificationBusiness or investment residence where eligible
| Student | Admission, proof of funds, accommodation, insurance, and immigration approval are normally required; work rights vary. |
|---|---|
| Work | A local employer, qualifying occupation, or other work authorization is normally required; labour-market tests may apply. |
| Self-employed | Business registration, tax registration, and a residence or work authorization suitable for self-employment are generally required. |
| Permanent | Eligibility depends on years and continuity of lawful residence, route, income, character, and country-specific legislation. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
45Moderate
| Years required | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Conditional or route-dependent |
| Language | Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route. |
| Residence | Headline ordinary naturalization period: 10 years. Continuous residence and absence rules may apply. |
| Notes | This is a statutory headline from a sourced comparison table. Confirm the current nationality law and administrative practice before relying on it. |
Passport
Passport power
20Low
39 / 198
Mobility
#101
Global rank
No
Biometric
- Visa-free14
- On arrival22
- eTA3
- Visa required159
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
30Limited
Output per worker$44,390 PPP (2024)
Unemployment18.8% (2025)
Participation48.0% of 15+ (2025)
| Tech salary (estimate) | GNI per capita benchmark: $17,150 PPP (2025); this is not a technology salary quote. |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Internet use is 82%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status. |
| Job market | Latest comparable unemployment rate: 18.8%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
73Good
GNI / person$17,150 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$5,468 PPP (2024)
Price level34 (US = 100) (2025)
Inflation1.8% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
92Excellent
Price level34 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | Model benchmark: about $200 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing. |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Model benchmark: about $510 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline. |
| Cities | Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata |
Economy
Economic strength
57Moderate
Output & income
GDP$48.1B (2025)
GDP / person$6,449 (2025)
GNI / person$17,150 PPP (2025)
GDP growth1.9% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation1.8% / yr (2025)
Unemployment18.8% (2025)
Output per worker$44,390 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture1.5% of GDP (2025)
Industry73.2% of GDP (2025)
Services26.9% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
Oil & gasPetrochemicalsConstruction
Top exports
Crude oilNatural gasRefined fuels
| Type | Upper-middle-income, oil-driven (unstable) |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Oil & gas (almost the entire economy) |
| Summary | An economy almost wholly dependent on oil and gas, with output repeatedly disrupted by conflict and division. |
| Currency | Libyan dinar |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
71Good
| Personal | 10 |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 20 |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Personal tax
Personal tax
82Excellent
| Personal | 10 |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Exit tax | No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules. |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
43Limited
| Corporate | 20 |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary. |
| Dividends | Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility. |
| Foreign companies | Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply. |
Business
Business friendliness
28Low
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality-1.74 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness-1.42 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Foreign ownership is generally possible, subject to sector restrictions, licensing, local-participation rules, and beneficial-ownership checks. |
|---|---|
| Local company | Local company forms are available; registration, tax, capital, director, address, and licensing requirements vary. |
| Freelance | Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration. |
Investment
Investing environment
38Limited
Private credit13% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | Capital-gains treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position. |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | Verify current national and subnational net-wealth, property, inheritance, and transfer taxes. |
| Brokers | Local and international broker access depends on residency, exchange controls, sanctions screening, and platform onboarding. |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
49Moderate
Salary & work
30Limited
Business
28Low
Investment
38Limited
Tax friendliness
71Good
Cost of living
92Excellent
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
15Low
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption-1.53 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-1.90 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
64Moderate
Outcomes
Life expectancy71.1 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality9.8 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians2.04 per 1,000 (2017)
Hospital beds3.50 per 1,000 (2022)
Health spending$1,055 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public and private provision coexist; eligibility, service quality, and capacity vary by location. |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Insurance and proof-of-cover requirements depend on immigration status, employer, and residence route. |
| Average cost | Health expenditure: $1,055 PPP per person (2023). |
Environment
Environment score
40Limited
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure20.0 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress817.1% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
42Limited
Digital infrastructure
Internet use82.0% (2024)
Internet resilience43 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed39 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed47 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access73.2% (2023)
Grid losses20.2% of output (2023)
Transport
Transport quality1.70 / 5 (2022)
Air connectivity1,508 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
58Moderate
Attainment
Expected schooling12.9 years (2023)
Mean schooling7.8 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment59% gross (2003)
Education spending2.3% of GDP (1999)
| Tuition | Fees vary by institution, programme, level, and nationality; no harmonized official tuition series is used. |
|---|---|
| Public university | Check current public-university fee schedules and scholarship rules directly with each institution. |
| Languages | Arabic |
| Student work | Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits. |
HDI
Human development score
72Good
HDI0.721 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling12.9 years (2023)
Mean schooling7.8 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
23Low
| Freedom in the World | 9 / 100 (Not free) |
|---|---|
| Freedom on the Net | 43 / 100 (Partly free) |
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
5Low
| Rule of Law percentile | 5 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Official references
UN Statistics: M49 country and area codesunstats.un.orgUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgPwC: Libya corporate tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comPwC: Libya personal tax headlinetaxsummaries.pwc.comNaturalization comparison and linked nationality lawsen.wikipedia.orgHenley Passport Index 2026 summaryen.wikipedia.org
Quick links
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.