Lebanon

Lebanon sits on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, classified by the United Nations under Western Asia. Its official identifiers are stable, but population, economic conditions and entry rules shift frequently. The sections below give you the fixed codes first, then show you exactly how to pull the latest numbers from the sources that update them.

Stable identifiers

These codes come from the UN Statistics Division M49 overview and the ISO 3166 standard. They are statistical and administrative labels, not statements about sovereignty or borders.

Field	Value
UN M49 code	422
ISO alpha-2	LB
ISO alpha-3	LBN
UN region	Asia
UN subregion	Western Asia
UN member state	Yes (founding member, 1945)
World Bank capital field	Beirut

The UN M49 overview groups Lebanon under Asia and the subregion Western Asia. The World Bank API returns the capital field as Beirut. Classification boundaries do not settle territorial or sovereignty claims, which remain political and legal questions.

How to verify the current population

Lebanon has not held a full census since 1932 under the French Mandate. Every published figure is an estimate, and numbers differ between sources because of migration, refugee inclusion and methodology. Always name the source and the reference year when you quote a figure.

UN World Population Prospects

The United Nations Population Division publishes biennial revisions with medium-variant projections. The 2024 revision is the current reference. These estimates cover the resident population and are updated annually.

World Bank population indicator

Use the API endpoint below to retrieve the most recent estimate and its year:

https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/LB/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?format=json

The response is a JSON object. Read the most recent value and its label. The World Bank indicator may differ from UN figures because of timing and definitions, including how refugee and migrant groups are counted.

Lebanese national statistical office

Consult Lebanon’s official statistics office for survey data and any administrative records. Because demographic data ties into sectarian power-sharing arrangements, all published numbers carry a margin of uncertainty. Treat every figure as a snapshot, not a constant.

Capital

The World Bank capital field lists Beirut. This is a classification fact for administrative and data-organisation purposes, not a political statement about internal governance.

Language

Arabic is the official language. French, English and Armenian are also used in education, media and public life. Language proficiency statistics are not collected on a fixed cycle. For current estimates, check the Ethnologue entry or the Lebanese government’s official statistics office rather than relying on a static list.

Currency

The Lebanese pound (LBP) is the national currency. After the financial crisis that began in 2019, the market exchange rate diverged sharply from the official rate. Confirm current rates with your bank or a currency data provider before any transaction. The World Bank and IMF report economic indicators in US dollars, which is a different unit from the local currency.

Government

Lebanon is a parliamentary republic. The political system allocates high offices among religious communities, and the country has faced extended periods without a president or a fully functioning cabinet. For the current government formation, consult the Lebanese Presidency website or the relevant foreign ministry’s country profile. Political and territorial claims, including the status of the Golan Heights and the Shebaa Farms area, are disputed. Treat any map or border description as a claim, not a settled fact.

Economy

Lebanon’s economy has been in severe crisis since 2019. The World Bank classifies it as a lower-middle-income economy (World Bank, 2023). GDP figures in Lebanese pounds are complicated by exchange rate volatility and multiple rates. Use the World Bank API and IMF Article IV consultation reports for the latest estimates, and always note the reference year. World Bank and IMF data may lag by one to two years. For real-time economic context, open the World Bank country overview and the most recent IMF Article IV report.

Travel and entry

Visa requirements and entry rules change frequently and depend on nationality. Check your own government’s travel advisory and the IATA Travel Centre before planning a trip. The World Bank API is useful for economic indicators, not border policy.

Statistical classification versus political claims

The UN M49 code 422 and ISO codes LB and LBN are identifiers for data organisation. They place Lebanon in Western Asia without implying any position on territorial claims, borders or political status. For political or territorial questions, consult the relevant national governments and international bodies. Naming and boundary conventions vary by source.

Country profile at a glance

Lebanon is a UN member state in Western Asia on the eastern Mediterranean shore. Its UN M49 code is 422, ISO alpha-2 is LB and ISO alpha-3 is LBN. The UN region is Asia and the subregion is Western Asia. The World Bank capital field lists Beirut. These codes are stable identifiers used in international statistics; they are not political endorsements of borders or sovereignty.

How to pull economic indicators

Use the World Bank API endpoint below to retrieve Lebanon’s country code, region and income-level classification:

https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/LB?format=json

The API is versioned. The current response reflects the World Bank’s classification for the fiscal year in effect when the data was released. Always note the reference year for any figure you quote. For GDP and other indicators, append the indicator code to the country path and check the most recent value with its label.