Libya emerged as the largest supplier of crude oil to Italy in 2025, providing nearly a quarter of the country’s total oil imports, according to a report by Italy’s Nova News Agency.
The report stated that imports of Libyan crude reached approximately 13.43 million tons during the year, accounting for a significant share of Italy’s overall crude purchases. This placed Libya ahead of several major energy exporters, including Greece, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, making it the leading supplier to the Italian energy market.
Italy remains one of Libya’s most important energy partners due to geographic proximity across the Mediterranean and long-standing commercial ties between the two countries. Libyan crude is particularly attractive to European refineries because of its relatively low sulfur content and the short shipping routes to southern Europe.
Data cited in the report also showed that Libya had already ranked as Italy’s top crude supplier during the first seven months of 2024. During that period, Italian imports of Libyan oil reached approximately 7.39 million tons, representing about 22.3 percent of Italy’s total crude oil imports.
The growth in Libyan exports to Italy reflects the broader recovery of Libya’s oil production and export capacity after periods of disruption in previous years. Energy trade between the two countries has continued to expand as European markets seek stable and geographically close sources of crude supply.
Additional figures from the US Energy Information Administration indicate that European countries accounted for the majority of Libya’s crude exports in recent years. According to data released in October 2025, five European countries—including Italy and Spain—collectively received about 71 percent of Libya’s total crude exports during the first nine months of the year.
