Libya ranks second in Africa for urbanisation
LIBYA – A statistical report published by the Mauritius-based English-language website The African Exponent has ranked Libya second on its list of Africa’s ten most urbanised countries for 2026, with 87.9% of its population living in urban areas.
The report, whose data on Libya were followed and summarised by Al-Marsad, placed Gabon first, followed by Libya, Cabo Verde, Algeria, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Tunisia, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Botswana.
Mediterranean cities and oil behind population concentration
The report pointed to the concentration of the population in cities on the Mediterranean coast, particularly Tripoli, Benghazi and Misrata, while the Sahara, which covers most of Libya, is sparsely populated.
It attributed this distribution to oil revenues, which for decades have helped build modern coastal urban centres, and to the concentration of wealth and jobs on a narrow coastal strip, given how difficult it is to live in large parts of the country.
It said Libya had kept its high ranking on the urbanisation index despite wars and political turmoil.
