Figure of the Week

Figure of the week$4 Billion: The True Weight of Lebanon’s Agriculture Sector

Liliane Mokbel 14:00 - Reading : less than a minute

As Lebanon endures a prolonged economic crisis, one figure remains widely overlooked: the country’s agriculture sector generates over $4 billion annually when including the entire value chain: transport, packaging, and agro-food processing. On its own, raw agricultural production is valued at $2.2 billion per year. Strengthening agriculture and ...

Figure of the weekLebanese Eurobonds Drop 13% Amid Regional Tensions

Liliane Mokbel 21/06 14:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

lebanon Eurobonds war Iran Israël

Lebanese eurobonds, long regarded as one of the most profitable investments in emerging markets in 2024, have sharply declined by 13.15%. This downturn is mainly attributed to the recent outbreak of war between Israel and Iran last Friday, coupled with ongoing stalemates in structural reforms and sovereign debt restructuring. These ...

Figure of the weekLBP 44.2 Million for a Basic Food Basket

Liliane Mokbel 14/06 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Economy Lebanon World Food Program

According to the World Food Program, the survival food basket has reached LBP 44.2 million, or around $492, an increase of $42 since January. That's how much it now costs for a family of five to cover its basic food needs for a month in Lebanon. This basket, which includes rice, wheat, pulses, oil, sugar, salt and sardines, represents the bare ...

Figure of the weekPublic Bus Use Surges to 4,600 Daily Riders, One Year After Launch

Liliane Mokbel 07/06 15:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Baalbeck

4,600 — that's the average number of passengers using public buses each day, one year after the launch of Lebanon’s state-operated public transport service, led by the Office of Railways and Public Transport. This marks a significant increase compared to the early days of the project, when daily ridership hovered between just 200 and 300 ...

Figure of the weekTwo-Thirds of Families Struggle to Access Quality Food

Liliane Mokbel 31/05 12:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Baalbeck Lebanon wages cost

Save the Children conducted a survey of 4,099 Lebanese households, excluding those in the North and Akkar governorates. The findings reveal that 66% of families surveyed face serious difficulties accessing quality food. The situation is especially critical in the Baalbeck-Hermel region, where 11% of households were unable to obtain enough food to ...

Figure of the weekLebanon’s Exports Surge 30% in Q1 2025

Liliane Mokbel 24/05 15:00 - Reading : less than a minute

United States Lebanon exports swiss

Lebanon’s exports surged by 30% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching $957 million, up from $735 million during the same period in 2024. This marks a significant improvement for a country with a chronically negative trade balance. Jewelry, Lebanon’s top export category (43% of total exports), played a major role in this increase, with ...

Figure of the weekInterest on Lebanese Pound Deposits Drops

Liliane Mokbel 17/05 14:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Banque du Liban

2% — that’s the average interest rate on deposits in Lebanese pounds, according to the latest figures released by the Banque du Liban for March 2025. This represents a clear decline from 2.86% in February, although it remains higher than the rate recorded a year earlier in March 2024, when it stood at just 1%. In contrast, interest rates on ...

Figure of the weekLebanon’s $30 Million Digital Ad Boom Bypasses Local Media

Liliane Mokbel 10/05 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Hezbollah Israel Tik Tok

Despite a near-total freeze in ad campaigns since September 2024, triggered by the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, digital advertising emerged as a clear winner in Lebanon. According to the Lebanese chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), ad spending on platforms like Meta, TikTok and Google reached $30 ...

Figure of the weekOnly 1 in 5 Motorcycles Registered in Lebanon

Liliane Mokbel 03/05 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

lebanon motorcycles fleet

According to the Traffic and Vehicle Management Authority (commonly referred to as "la Mécanique") and data from the research firm Information International, only 289,000 motorcycles were officially registered in Lebanon as of 2022. However, this number is believed to represent just 20% of the actual motorcycles on the road. In both 2023 and ...

Figure of the weekBig Projects, Few Permits: Lebanon’s Construction Slows, but Grows in Scale

Liliane Mokbel 19/04 12:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

According to the Order of Engineers of Beirut and North Lebanon, only 417 building permits were issued in January 2025 – a sharp 48.33% drop compared to January 2024. Construction activity has seen a steep decline over the past year. This downturn has affected all governorates: Beirut: Only 2 permits issued, a 93.75% drop ...

Figure of the weekLebanon Faces Severe Trade Deficit and Economic Imbalance

Liliane Mokbel 05/04 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

lebanon crisis imports GDP deficit

Lebanon's trade deficit in 2024 reached $14.2 billion, accounting for approximately 50% of the country's GDP. This level, one of the highest in the world, is alarming and reflects the magnitude of the country's economic imbalances. According to statistics from the Higher Council of Customs, imports declined by 3.5%, totaling $16.9 billion, while ...

Figure of the weekLebanon's Solar Energy Market Faces Sharp Decline

Liliane Mokbel 29/03 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

solar panels lebanon imports energy

The solar energy market in Lebanon experienced a dramatic decline. In 2024, imports of solar panels dropped by 41% compared to 2023 and by 82% compared to 2022, according to data from the Lebanese Customs Authority. A record high was reached in 2022, with 5 million panels imported, while only 2.24 million were imported in 2024, valued at a ...