Share of women who are married or in a union in Libya
Libya: Share of women who are married or in a union was 1.7% in 2014. ◆ Volatile
Share of women who are married or in a union in Libya, 1970–2014
Source: United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Libya recorded 1.7% for share of women who are married or in a union in 2014. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.0% on the previous year and down 57.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are married or in a union in Libya peaked at 36.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2014.
That places Libya 179th out of 221 countries with data for 2014, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of women who are married or in a union in Libya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 36.7% | — |
| 1971 | 36.7% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 36.7% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 36.7% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 34.1% | -6.9% |
| 1975 | 31.6% | -7.5% |
| 1976 | 29.0% | -8.1% |
| 1977 | 26.5% | -8.8% |
| 1978 | 23.9% | -9.6% |
| 1979 | 21.4% | -10.6% |
| 1980 | 18.8% | -11.9% |
| 1981 | 16.3% | -13.5% |
| 1982 | 13.8% | -15.6% |
| 1983 | 11.2% | -18.5% |
| 1984 | 8.7% | -22.7% |
| 1985 | 8.4% | -2.7% |
| 1986 | 8.2% | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 8.0% | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 7.7% | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 7.5% | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 7.3% | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 7.0% | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 6.8% | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 6.6% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 6.3% | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 6.1% | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 5.6% | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | -4.1% |
| 1999 | 5.2% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 4.5% | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 3.8% | -5.8% |
| 2006 | 3.6% | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | -7.0% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | -8.8% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | -9.7% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -10.7% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | -12.0% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 1.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.6%, 22% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Libya's 1.7% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.7%, 30% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.3% | 21.4% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.9% | 7.5% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.2% | 5.2% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.9% | 2.9% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More gender data for Libya
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,888 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.23 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 5,998 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 5,998 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.82 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 58,243 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 61,596 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 59,014 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 62,364 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 60,166 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are married or in a union in Libya?
- Share of women who are married or in a union in Libya was 1.7% in 2014, according to United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 36.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2014.
- How does Libya rank for share of women who are married or in a union?
- Libya ranks 179th out of 221 countries with data for 2014.
- Is share of women who are married or in a union rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are married or in a union. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of women aged 15-19 sharing a household with their partner, whether married, cohabiting, in consensual partnerships, or in other non-marital unions.