Economic Digest

Short analyses about Lebanon’s latest economic indicators, updated on a monthly basis

Home » Economic Digest

Lebanese Customs Revenue: Some Welcome but Surprising Results!

Lebanon’s customs revenue story is taking a surprising turn: despite only modest growth in imports, customs collections in early 2025 soared by 165% compared to 2024—without any change in tariff rates. The ... read more

Lebanon’s Trade Deficit Widened by 12.95% YoY to $7.87B in H1 2025

According to the Lebanese Customs Administration, Lebanon’s trade deficit widened by 12.95% year-over-year (YoY) to $7.87 billion in the first half (H1) of 2025. The shift was primarily driven by a 14.65% ... read more

Port of Beirut: Cumulative Total Container Activity Rose 10.49% YoY by May 2025 to 325,950 TEU

Cumulative container activity at the Port of Beirut rose by 10.49% year-over-year (YoY) to 325,950 TEU by May 2025. Cumulative container activity, referring to cargo loaded onto or unloaded from ships at ... read more

BDL’s Foreign Reserve Assets Stand at $11.5B after an $149.1M Increase in the First Two Weeks of July 2025

According to Banque du Liban’s (BDL) balance sheet, the Central Bank’s total assets decreased by 0.16% Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching $94.2B by mid-July 2025. Furthermore, the gold account, representing ... read more

Lebanon’s Inflation Rate increased by 15.00% YOY in June 2025

Lebanon’s annual inflation rate increased to 15.00% in June 2025, from 14.44% in May 2025 according to the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS). The average decrease in inflation in last ... read more

The Big Mac Index and Lebanese Real Exchange Rates: Where Do We Stand?

The nominal exchange rate as commonly known is the price of one currency in terms of another. It’s usually expressed as the domestic price of the foreign currency. So if it costs 89,500 LBP to buy 1 USD, ... read more

Cumulative Construction Permits Fell Yearly by 27.20% to 4,097 by June 2025

Lebanon saw a cumulative 27.20% year-on-year (YoY) drop in construction permits to 4,097 permits by June 2025. Israel’s war on Lebanon had been largely contained to specific areas during the first half of ... read more

Cumulative Balance of Payments Surplus at $8,143.3M by May 2025, Compared to a Surplus of $3,240.1M by May 2024

BDL compiled May 2025 data using the two below sources as per the IMF recommendation to align with the International Norms: The “Sixth Edition of the Balance of Payments and International Investment ... read more

Number of Airport Passengers Up 0.16% Annually YTD by June 2025

The cumulative activity at Rafic Hariri International Airport rose by 0.16% year-on-year (YoY) to 3,001,248 travelers. This increase was driven by a 3.45% cumulative YoY increase in arrivals, which totaled ... read more

BDL: Issues Basic Circular 170 to Prevent Dealing with Unregistered or Sanctioned Parties; Signs Agreement with “K2 Integrity”

The Central Bank (BDL) issued on July 14th, 2025 basic circular 170 (Decision 13735) related to cautionary measures to protect Lebanese financial and economic sectors from dealing with unregistered ... read more

This website uses cookies in order to improve user experience. If you close this box or continue browsing,
we will assume you agree with this. For more information click here

Choose Category

Enter Keyword

Economic Digest