Largest Cities and Urban Settlements by Population in Libya
113 cities and urban settlements in Libya with 10,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by population at the census of April 15, 2006 (by Bureau of Statistics and Census, Libya).
| Rank | City or Urban Settlement | Also Known As | Native Name | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tripoli | Ṭarābulus | طرابلس | 1,063,571 |
| 2 | Benghazi | Banghāzī | بنغازي | 618,325 |
| 3 | Misrata | Miṣrātah | مصراتة | 290,316 |
| 4 | Zliten | Zlīṭan | زليتن | 166,350 |
| 5 | Zawiya | Az-Zāwiyah | الزاوية | 141,653 |
| 6 | Al-Khums | - | الخمس | 126,348 |
| 7 | Janzur | - | جنزور | 126,025 |
| 8 | Sabha | Sebha | سبها | 121,895 |
| 9 | Tobruk | Ṭubruq | طبرق | 115,503 |
| 10 | Ajdabiya | - | أجدابيا | 107,564 |
| 11 | Bayda | Al-Bayḍā' | البيضاء | 105,659 |
| 12 | Sirte | Surt | سرت | 87,102 |
| 13 | Derna | Darnah | درنة | 83,735 |
| 14 | Qasr Bin Ghashir | Ben Gashir | قصر بن غشير | 81,685 |
| 15 | Al-'Ajaylat | - | العجيلات | 77,198 |
| 16 | Sabratah | - | صبراتة | 68,077 |
| 17 | Al-Harshah | - | الحرشة | 66,216 |
| 18 | Surman | Sorman | صرمان | 62,947 |
| 19 | Al-Marj | - | المرج | 62,595 |
| 20 | Msalatah | - | مسلاتة | 60,329 |
| 21 | Al-Jumayl | - | الجميل | 51,974 |
| 22 | Suani Ben Adem | As-Sawānī | السواني | 46,585 |
| 23 | Tarhunah | - | ترهونة | 42,790 |
| 24 | Al-'Aziziyah | - | العزيزية | 42,777 |
| 25 | Castelverde | Al-Qarābūllī | القرابوللي | 40,496 |
| 26 | Bani Walid | - | بني وليد | 37,332 |
| 27 | Al-Jawfincl. Al-Kufrah | - | الجوف | 34,349 |
| 28 | Gharyan | - | غريان | 29,476 |
| 29 | Zuwarah | - | زوارة | 27,662 |
| 30 | Ubari | Awbārī | أوباري | 27,402 |
| 31 | Az-Zintan | - | الزنتان | 26,187 |
| 32 | Regdalin | Riqdālīn | رقدالين | 25,801 |
| 33 | Brega | Al-Buraīqah | البريقة | 25,550 |
| 34 | Murzuk | Marzūq | مرزق | 24,890 |
| 35 | Shahhat | - | شحات | 23,841 |
| 36 | Al-Abyar | - | الأبيار | 23,681 |
| 37 | Nalut | - | نالوت | 23,208 |
| 38 | Al-Asabi'ah | - | الاصابعة | 22,622 |
| 39 | Az-Zahra' | - | الزهراء | 20,966 |
| 40 | Hun | - | هون | 19,943 |
| 41 | Al-Qubbah | El Gubba | القبة | 19,191 |
| 42 | Al-Gharayfahincl. Al-Q'īrāt | - | الشمالية | 19,141 |
| 43 | Yafran | - | يفرن | 18,514 |
| 44 | An-Nasiriyah | - | الناصرية | 16,887 |
| 45 | Al-Akhyar | - | الاخيار | 16,708 |
| 46 | Suluq | - | سلوق | 16,259 |
| 47 | Qarquzah | - | قرقوزة | 14,163 |
| 48 | Al-'Aluas | - | العلوص | 13,977 |
| 49 | Wadi 'Utbah | - | وادي عتبة | 13,670 |
| 50 | Mizdah | - | مزدة | 13,661 |
| 51 | Brak | Birāk | براك | 13,224 |
| 52 | Bin Jawadincl. As-Sidrah | - | بن جواد | 12,660 |
| 53 | Al-Qawasim | - | القواسم | 12,354 |
| 54 | Ar-Riyaynah | - | الرياينة | 12,270 |
| 55 | Ghat | - | غات | 11,943 |
| 56 | Abu Zayyan | - | ابو زيان | 11,699 |
| 57 | Al-Mayah | - | الماية | 11,594 |
| 58 | Zaltan | - | زلطن | 11,535 |
| 59 | Jalu | - | جالو | 10,939 |
| 60 | Tocra | Tūkrah | توكرة | 10,280 |
| 61 | Jadu | - | جادو | 10,210 |
| 62 | Ar-Rahaibat | - | الرحيبات | 9,989 |
| 63 | Ghadamesincl. Afūghās | Ghadāmis | غدامس | 9,874 |
| 64 | Sokna | Sūknah | المركز | 9,859 |
| 65 | Kiklah | - | ككلة | 9,613 |
| 66 | Wardamah | - | وردامة | 9,027 |
| 67 | Umm al-Aranib | - | ام الارنب | 8,566 |
| 68 | Waddan | - | ودان | 8,286 |
| 69 | Zella | Zillah | زلة | 8,188 |
| 70 | Al-Birkat | - | البركت | 8,088 |
| 71 | Sidi as-Sid | - | سيدي الصيد | 8,017 |
| 72 | Al-Khadra' | - | الخضراء | 7,772 |
| 73 | Martubah | - | مرتوبة | 7,638 |
| 74 | Umm ar-Rizam | - | ام الرزم | 7,136 |
| 75 | Qaminis | - | قمينس | 7,092 |
| 76 | Musaid | Umm Sā'ad | امساعد | 7,032 |
| 77 | Labraq | Al-Abriq | الابرق | 6,756 |
| 78 | Traghan | - | تراغن | 6,667 |
| 79 | Tazirbu | - | تازربو | 6,600 |
| 80 | 'Umar al-Mukhtar | - | عمر المختار | 6,556 |
| 81 | Abu Ghilan | - | ابو غيلان | 6,449 |
| 82 | Massah | - | مسة | 6,393 |
| 83 | Qandulah | - | قندولة | 6,335 |
| 84 | Kabaw | - | كباو | 6,274 |
| 85 | Deriana | Daryānah | دريانة | 6,170 |
| 86 | Tamzawah | - | تامزاوة | 6,049 |
| 87 | Susah | - | سوسة | 5,947 |
| 88 | Al-Qatrun | - | القطرون | 5,913 |
| 89 | Qirah | - | قيرة | 5,712 |
| 90 | Kambut | - | كمبوت | 5,692 |
| 91 | Tiji | - | تيجي | 5,637 |
| 92 | Al-Bayyadah | - | الشرقية | 5,538 |
| 93 | Jardas al-'Abid | - | جردس العبيد | 5,505 |
| 94 | Ar-Rajban | - | الرجبان | 5,240 |
| 95 | Bint Bayah | - | بنت بية | 5,091 |
| 96 | Daraj | - | درج | 4,940 |
| 97 | Qasr Libya | - | قصر ليبيا | 4,878 |
| 98 | Brqin | Brguen | برقن | 4,818 |
| 99 | Bardia | Al-Bardī | البردي | 4,716 |
| 100 | 'Awjilah | - | أوجلة | 4,184 |
| 101 | Aqar | - | اقار | 3,945 |
| 102 | Wazin | - | وازن | 3,849 |
| 103 | Adiri | - | ادري | 3,834 |
| 104 | Al-Hawamid | - | الحوامد | 3,721 |
| 105 | Samnu | - | سمنو | 3,667 |
| 106 | Zawilah | - | زويلة | 3,620 |
| 107 | Ghirnada | Qirnādah | قرنادة | 3,434 |
| 108 | B'ir al-Ghanam | - | بئر الغنم | 3,414 |
| 109 | Sinawin | - | سيناون | 3,314 |
| 110 | Al-'Awaynat | - | العوينات | 3,168 |
| 111 | Badr | - | بدر | 3,100 |
| 112 | Sultan | - | سلطان | 2,998 |
| 113 | Mechili | Al-Mukhīlī | المخيلي | 1,764 |
Source: Bureau of Statistics and Census, Libya (2006 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff.
Why don't these match official city populations?Official figures typically count only the population within administrative boundaries. UN urban area figures cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.Show moreShow less
Tokyo
33,338,852
Urban area
9,953,160
23 wards
Essen
2,709,375
Urban area
573,618
City of Essen
Ankara
3,630,865
Urban area
5,186,002
Metropolitan municipality
What counts as an urban area? The UN uses satellite imagery to map built-up land, and treats each continuous stretch of built-up land as an urban area. This means that urban areas can extend beyond official city boundaries, and may include multiple cities and towns within a single urban area.
Can an urban area be smaller than its city? Yes. While most cities have urban areas larger than their administrative boundaries, some cities have extensive administrative limits that include sparsely populated areas.
14 urban areas in Libya with 50,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.
| Rank | Urban Area | Population Estimate (2026) | Yearly Change | Land Area (km²) | Density (P/km²) | World Rank | Projections (2030) | Projections (2050) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ţarābulus (Tripoli) | 1,250,748 | +0.87% | 416 | 3,007 | 409 | 1,294,446 | 1,459,558 |
| 2 | Benghazi | 637,635 | +1.12% | 158 | 4,025 | 854 | 666,261 | 839,989 |
| 3 | Misrata | 296,905 | +0.84% | 147 | 2,014 | 1,975 | 306,920 | 357,125 |
| 4 | Al Zawiyah | 218,424 | +1.80% | 105 | 2,080 | 2,739 | 234,169 | 270,510 |
| 5 | Sabha | 124,213 | +0.63% | 33 | 3,764 | 4,998 | 127,320 | 145,699 |
| 6 | Tubruq | 123,371 | +1.13% | 41 | 2,994 | 5,036 | 128,923 | 160,029 |
| 7 | Bayda | 120,568 | +1.19% | 25 | 4,747 | 5,163 | 126,301 | 149,065 |
| 8 | Qabilat alturki | 119,668 | +1.13% | 55 | 2,168 | 5,200 | 125,090 | 149,295 |
| 9 | Marj | 107,614 | +1.26% | 16 | 6,643 | 5,808 | 113,039 | 135,265 |
| 10 | Sayyad | 104,478 | +1.44% | 58 | 1,814 | 5,991 | 110,500 | 122,926 |
| 11 | Ajdabiya | 96,803 | +1.31% | 21 | 4,524 | 6,468 | 101,883 | 118,161 |
| 12 | Darnah | 65,899 | +3.58% | 21 | 3,108 | 9,532 | 75,335 | 90,312 |
| 13 | Zliten | 65,715 | +0.78% | 34 | 1,933 | 9,556 | 67,765 | 89,003 |
| 14 | Sirte | 62,678 | +0.78% | 24 | 2,612 | 10,027 | 64,621 | 76,517 |
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.