Advertising and marketing in Lebanon

Marketing opportunities

Consumer Profile: Lebanon has a population of almost 5.5 million people (2020 est.) with a negative growth rate of 6.7% in 2020 (CIA Factbook). There are 57.7% Muslims (28.7% Sunni, 28.4% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), 36.2% Christian 36.2% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), 5.2% Druze 5.2%, and a very small number of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus.
The median age is 33.7 years. 20.72% of the population is between 0 and 14 years old, 15% is between 15 and 24 years old, 46.7% is between 25 and 54 years old, 9.6% of the population is between 55 and 63 years old and 8% is 65 years or older. 88.6% of the population lives in urban areas and the urbanisation rate stands at 0.75%; the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favourable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area has a smaller population density. Beirut, the capital city, counts around 2.2 million people. The average household counts 4.3 people.

The literacy rate stands at 95.1%, 96.9% for the male population and 93.3% for the female population. In Lebanon, English or French with Arabic are taught from early years in schools. English or French are the mandatory medium of instruction for mathematics and science for all schools. Education is compulsory from age 6 to age 14. The percentage of the population as a whole with at least some secondary education (aged 25 and above) is 54.2%. For the percentage of the female population with at least some secondary education, the figure drops to 38.8%.

Purchasing Power: The Lebanese GDP per capita (PPP) is estimated at USD 15,327.3 (World Bank, 2019), after decreasing for two consecutive years. Against a backdrop of what is the country’s worst economic crisis in history, Lebanon’s unemployment rate has surged past the 30% mark. A person working in Lebanon typically earns around LBP 2,280,000 per month. Due to political and economic crisis, the country is experiencing hyperinflation: in June 2020, Lebanon’s inflation rate was 20%, month-on-month, with prices that had nearly doubled compared to one year earlier. The World Bank projected that the poverty rate may reach 40-50% at the end of 2020.
Gini index in Lebanon was reported at 31.8, according to the latest figure from the World Bank collection of development indicators. According to studies in Lebanon, women and men working in the public sector earn similar wages, but women working in the private sector earn substantially less than their male counterparts, as confirmed by the low Gender Inequality Index score of the country, which is ranked 145th out of 153 countries (OECD Development Centre, 2019).

Consumer Behaviour: Purchasing in Lebanon is marked by a lack of trust between buyers and sellers owing to high price differences among retailers, the prevalence of counterfeit products and the relative weakness of the Consumer Protection Directorate. Marred by political instability, the refugee crisis and the economic downturn, Lebanese consumers have little confidence in their economy.

According to Nielsen reports, “rapid urbanisation and changes in households are also influencing buying decisions of global consumers. Meanwhile, the household continues to shrink at the same time. Therefore, it’s not surprising that consumers say they seek out products which make life easier (31%) and convenient to use (31%), while around one in five consumers are looking for products suitable for small households (18%) and tailored to a specific need (15%)”.

E-commerce is rather weak in Lebanon; a survey conducted by the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade indicates a variety of issues that slow the growth of e-commerce in the country – including the high cost of building an online market, lack of confidence on the part of Lebanese buyers in transactions conducted over the internet, high costs of shipping packages and a lack of awareness among the population about the internet and its capabilities. A regulatory framework was only recently put into place for e-commerce, as an attempt to spur its growth in the country.

Data analysis produced from a consumer survey in Lebanon testing the socio-demographic and external factors affecting customer behaviour, demonstrated high-levels of awareness toward the importance of protecting the environment and its resources. Additionally, it showed a great responsibility on the part of Lebanese consumers who expressed their willingness to behave in a responsible manner through their involvement in ecological actions. However, Lebanese society remains conservative and Lebanese consumers are only willing to change their behaviour and habits in a way acceptable by Lebanese society.