PEOPLE:
Libya has a small population in a large land area. Population density is about 50 persons per sq. km. (80/sq. mi.) in the two northern regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, but falls to less than one person per sq. km. (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. Fifty percent of the population is under age 15.
Population growth rate: 3.68% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 43.95 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 7.15 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 55.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.44 years
male: 63.21 years
female: 67.78 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.18 children born/woman (1998 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, 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.)

Libyans are primarily a mixture of Arabs and Berbers. Small Tebou and Touareg tribal groups in southern Libya are nomadic or semi-nomadic. Among foreign residents, the largest groups are Egyptians (estimates range from 400,000 to 1 million), Tunisians (40,000), Turks, Pakistanis, Indians, Sudanese, Moroccans, Jordanians, South Koreans, and Thais. Other foreign residents include 70,000 from Eastern Europe and 40,000 from Western Europe.