World Bank: Lebanon needs over $10B for post-war reconstruction
Shafaq News/ Lebanon’s post-war reconstruction and recovery needs are estimated at $11 billion, the World Bank announced on Friday.
According to the 2025 Lebanon Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), which evaluates the impact of the conflict across ten sectors nationwide between October 8, 2023, and December 20, 2024, at least $1 billion is needed for infrastructure, including municipal and public services and irrigation, and a further $6-8 billion in private sector investments, primarily in housing and trade.
Beyond reconstruction, the total economic toll of the conflict is estimated at $14 billion. This includes $6.8 billion in damage to physical infrastructure and $7.2 billion in economic losses stemming from reduced productivity, lost revenues, and increased operational costs. The housing sector sustained the heaviest impact, with damage reaching $4.6 billion, while trade, industry, and tourism suffered an additional $3.4 billion in losses.
The economic toll has been particularly severe in Nabatieh and South Lebanon, which were the hardest-hit regions, followed by Mount Lebanon, which includes Beirut’s southern suburb.
From a broader macroeconomic perspective, the report highlights a severe downturn, estimating that Lebanon’s real GDP contracted by 7.1% in 2024. This marks a sharp decline from the 0.9% growth projection had the conflict not occurred. By the end of 2024, Lebanon’s cumulative GDP contraction since 2019 neared 40%.
