Lebanon

parliamentary democratic republic

name: Beirut geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: derived from the Phoenician or Hebrew word be'erot , meaning "the wells," which were the only source of water in the region

chief of state: President Joseph AOUN (since 9 January 2025) head of government: Prime Minister Nawaf SALAM (since 8 February 2025) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president and the National Assembly election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by a qualified majority of two-thirds of Parliament members in the first round and, if needed, a two-thirds quorum of members by simple-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (eligible for non-consecutive terms); prime minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National Assembly most recent election date: 9 January 2025 election results: 2025: Joseph AOUN elected president in second round; National Assembly vote - 99 of 128 2016: Michel AWN elected president in second round; National Assembly vote - Michel AWN (FPM) 83; the president elected in its 46th attempt on 31 October 2016 expected date of next election: 2031

legislature name: National Assembly (Majlis Al-Nuwwab) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 128 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 5/15/2022 parties elected and seats per party: Strong Republic (19); Strong Lebanon (18); Development and Liberation (15); Loyalty to the Resistance (15); Independent Deputies (9); Democratic Gathering (8); Independents (20); Other (24) percentage of women in chamber: 6.3% expected date of next election: May 2026 note 1: Lebanon s constitution states that the Parliament cannot conduct regular business until it elects a president when the position is vacant note 2: seats are apportioned evenly between Christians and Muslims

highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court (organized into 8 chambers, each with a presiding judge and 2 associate judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 10 members) judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by Supreme Judicial Council, a 10-member body headed by the chief justice, and includes other judicial officials; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members appointed - 5 by the Council of Ministers and 5 by parliament; members serve 5-year terms subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized tribunals, religious courts; military courts

history: drafted 15 May 1926, adopted 23 May 1926 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic and introduced as a government bill to the National Assembly or proposed by at least 10 members of the Assembly and agreed upon by two thirds of its members; if proposed by the National Assembly, review and approval by two-thirds majority of the Cabinet is required; if approved, the proposal is next submitted to the Cabinet for drafting as an amendment; Cabinet approval requires at least two-thirds majority, followed by submission to the National Assembly for discussion and vote; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of a required two-thirds quorum of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the president

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

2.9% of GDP (2022 est.) 3.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 3% of GDP (2020 est.) 4.7% of GDP (2019 est.) 5.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army Command (includes Presidential Guard Brigade, Land Border Regiments), Naval Forces, Air Forces Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of Internal Security Forces (law enforcement; includes Mobile Gendarmerie), General Directorate for Public Security (border control, some domestic security duties) (2025) note: the commander of the LAF is also the head of the Army; the LAF patrols external borders, while official border checkpoints are under the authority of Directorate for General Security

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2026)

the primary responsibilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) are defense against external attack, border security, protecting the country s territorial waters, and assisting with internal security and development projects the LAF s domestic security responsibilities include countering narcotics trafficking and smuggling, managing protests, conducting search and rescue, and intervening to prevent violence between rival political factions; in recent years, the military has faced a financial crisis as government debt and national economic difficulties have undercut its ability to train and fully pay and supply personnel; the UN, as well as individual countries such as France, Qatar, and the US have provided financial assistance the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has operated in the southern part of the country since 1978; it has approximately 10,500 personnel assigned and includes a maritime task force; the terrorist group Hizballah maintains thousands of fighters and militia in Lebanon, primarily in the south (see Terrorist Organizations in References) (2025)

$65.415 billion (2023 est.) $65.917 billion (2022 est.) $66.329 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$11,300 (2023 est.) $11,500 (2022 est.) $11,600 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

-0.8% (2023 est.) -0.6% (2022 est.) -7% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

45.2% (2024 est.) 221.3% (2023 est.) 171.2% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

146.8% of GDP (2017 est.) note: data cover central government debt and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment

$11.77 billion (2023 est.) $12.445 billion (2022 est.) $9.684 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$23.313 billion (2023 est.) $24.536 billion (2022 est.) $17.667 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

11.6% (2023 est.) 11.6% (2022 est.) 12.7% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $12.73 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $11.853 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

banking, tourism, real estate and construction, food processing, wine, jewelry, cement, textiles, mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil refining, metal fabricating

potatoes, milk, tomatoes, apples, oranges, olives, cucumbers/gherkins, chicken, lemons/limes, wheat (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 5,364,482 (2024 est.) male: 2,678,543 female: 2,685,939

-0.77% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 18.9% (male 519,352/female 495,591) 15-64 years: 71.6% (male 1,939,311/female 1,900,574) 65 years and over: 9.5% (2024 est.) (male 219,880/female 289,774)

16.73 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.23 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-18.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 79.2 years (2024 est.) male: 77.8 years female: 80.7 years

urban population: 89.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: -1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify as Arab but rather as descendants of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Muslim 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2020 est.) note: data represent the religious affiliation of the citizen population (data do not include Lebanon's sizable Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations); 18 religious sects recognized

total population: 92% (2019 est.) male: 94.8% (2019 est.) female: 89.5% (2019 est.)

limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land

Abdallah Azzam Brigades; al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; Asbat al-Ansar; HAMAS; Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Palestine Liberation Front (PLF); Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 765,390 (2024 est.) IDPs: 984,514 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 40,000 (2024 est.)

8 (2025)

total: 401 km (2017) standard gauge: 319 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 82 km (2017) 1.050-m gauge note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006

total: 51 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 2, container ship 1, general cargo 30, oil tanker 1, other 17

total subscriptions: 4.29 million (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 77 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 84% (2023 est.)