What we do

Lebanon

Lebanon has traditionally been an important commercial hub for the Middle East and a refuge for the region's minorities for centuries. According to the World Bank, one of the key issues for the country today is the economic and social impact of the Syrian crisis. According to independent and government sources, up to 1.5 million Syrians — around a quarter of the Lebanese population — have taken refuge in the country since the conflict erupted in March 2011. This has strained Lebanon’s public finances, service delivery and environment. The crisis is expected to increase poverty incidence among Lebanese citizens and widen income inequality.

total population (thousands)

6,859

GNI per capita

7980$

Life expectancy at birth

79

Human Development Index

80 (out of 189)

Under-5 mortality rate

7‰

Primary school net enrolment

84.4%

Adult HIV prevalence (% of the population)

0.04%

People of all ages living with HIV (thousands)

2,500

improved access to safe water (% of the population)

93%

moderate-severe underweight (% children under-5)

17%