Overview
Lebanon's de facto dollarization — the displacement of the Lebanese pound by the US dollar as the primary medium of exchange — has been one of the most significant structural shifts in the Lebanese economy since 2020. This data insight maps the depth of dollarization across 11 economic sectors, using Berix transaction monitoring and enterprise survey data.
The findings reveal a highly uneven dollarization landscape: some sectors have become almost entirely USD-denominated, while others retain significant lira usage — often for reasons that have important implications for monetary policy and financial inclusion.
Dollarization by Sector
- Real Estate: 97% USD. All significant property transactions are now denominated and settled in cash dollars.
- Fuel & Energy: 94% USD. Fuel imports and generator subscriptions are fully dollarized.
- Healthcare (Private): 89% USD. Hospital fees, specialist consultations, and pharmaceuticals.
- Education (Private): 85% USD. School and university tuition fees.
- Retail (Supermarkets): 71% USD. Major chains price in USD; smaller stores maintain mixed pricing.
- Food & Beverage (Restaurants): 64% USD. Higher-end establishments fully dollarized; local eateries mixed.
- Public Transport: 12% USD. Remains predominantly lira-denominated, creating access issues.
- Government Services: 8% USD. Officially lira-denominated, though informal payments increasingly in USD.
Financial Inclusion Implications
The dollarization map reveals a troubling pattern: the sectors that have dollarized most completely are precisely those providing essential services — healthcare, education, fuel. This means that Lebanese households without access to USD are being systematically excluded from essential services, creating a two-tier economy divided not by income alone but by currency access.
Berix estimates that approximately 31% of Lebanese households have insufficient USD access to meet their essential service needs — a figure that has declined from 47% in 2022 as remittance flows have increased, but remains a significant structural vulnerability.