Libya Cities by Population 2024

Its troubled past and ongoing war means that Libya's fascinating history and diverse landscape of desserts, highlands and coastline are often overlooked. Libya's capital city of Tripoli has a population of 1.1 million people, and is situated on the northwest coast (where the majority of the country's population live) on the edge of the desert. The city functions as the political and administrative center of Libya as well as its main sea port. Tripoli's history can be dated back as far as the seventh century BC, and there are still many significant archaeological sites in the city.

Libya's second-largest city is Benghazi, which is also located along the country's Mediterranean coast. Benghazi previously had joint-capital status alongside Tripoli, and it remains an important center of government and commerce. It is home to Libya's parliament and national library, as well as major companies and organizations. The city has a population of around 700,000 residents. Today, Benghazi is known for being the location of the 2011 uprising against the government, and heavy fighting took place in the city during the Second Libyan Civil War in 2014-2017. Benghazi remains a politically unstable city.