World Sites & Apps
Africa · #95 · 2025–2026

Libya: internet and everyday apps

Libya has about 5.5 million people online — a penetration rate of 74.3% and rank #95 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 10 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 5.5 million Penetration 74.3% World rank #95 Updated 2026-11-12
Language العربيةEnglish
TL;DR
  • Libya has roughly 5.5 million internet users (5,500,000 people) — about 74.3% of the population and rank #95 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Food, News and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Libya in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
5.5 million5,500,000 · #95
Penetration
74.3%#134
Population
7.4 million7,400,000 · #105
GDP
$49B#97
GDP growth
+1.9%#153
GDP per person
$6,554#128
Land area
1.76M km²#17
Capital
Tripoli
Region
Africa
Official languages
Arabic

How Libya goes online

Tripoli and Benghazi know the network can drop at any moment, so people send the message whenever a signal appears. Facebook and WhatsApp are the doorways: news, prices, warnings about a road that has closed. Phone wallets are spreading slowly, among them MobiCash, used for top-ups and small transfers between relatives. Local journalism lives on Facebook pages more than on its own websites, and what people trust is a friend's confirmation, not a statement.

Around 74.3%. With a population of about 7.4 million and 5.5 million online, roughly 1.9 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 10 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

10 Most-used apps

Messaging

1 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Shopping

1 Most-used apps →
Jumia Shopping · Jumia Technologies · 2012

Mobility

2 Most-used apps →
Careem Mobility · Uber · 2012 inDrive Mobility · inDrive · 2012

Food

1 Most-used apps →
Talabat Food · Delivery Hero · 2004

News

1 Most-used apps →
Al Jazeera News · Al Jazeera Media Network · 2003

Websites people in Libya actually use

13

The 13 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

Telecom3News2Banking2Utilities2Classifieds1Transport1Mail1Education1
LibyanaTelecomlibyana.lyThe country’s biggest mobile operator, used for top-ups and data bundles. LTTTelecomltt.lyState telecom provider site for internet bills and landline requests. Al MadarTelecomalmadar.lyA telecom operator that also sells home-internet plans. The Libya ObserverNewslibyaobserver.lyIndependent outlet covering Libyan politics and daily life in both east and west. Libya HeraldNewslibyaherald.comصحيفة إلكترونية بالإنجليزية تصدر من طرابلس. Central Bank of LibyaBankingcbl.gov.lyLibya's central bank — the official exchange rate, banking circulars and the liquidity notices traders follow. Wahda BankBankingwahdabank.com.lyOne of the largest commercial banks, with branches in Tripoli and Benghazi. National Oil CorporationUtilitiesnoc.lyIt runs the oil sector and publishes production figures. GECOLUtilitiesgecol.lyThe national electricity company. OpenSooq LibyaClassifiedsopensooq.comClassifieds section Libyans use to buy and sell cars and furniture locally. Libyan AirlinesTransportlibyanairlines.aeroThe flag carrier, flying to Tunis and Istanbul. Libya PostMaillibyapost.lyThe state post and communications body. University of TripoliEducationuot.edu.lyThe largest university in the country.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Libya are online?

About 5.5 million (5,500,000 people). That works out to roughly 74.3% of the population, which puts Libya at #95 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Libya use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Food, News. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Libya?

WhatsApp dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Libya?

Around 74.3%. With a population of about 7.4 million and 5.5 million online, roughly 1.9 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Libya?

The everyday ones are The Libya Observer, Libyana, LTT, plus the other 13 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Libya: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/ly-en.html