Lebanon, a Country Out of Balance: Where Are All the People Going?
Before 1965, Lebanon looked very different; cities and villages grew side by side, both full of life, people, and stability. Urban and rural areas each had approximately 1.04 million people.
After 1965, Lebanon began facing one of the most dramatic population shifts in its modern history. Every year, cities grew more populated, while rural villages became quieter. Today, about 5.31 million people reside in cities, with only over 0.65 million live in rural areas. This change is just too significant to be accidental.
This raised an important question: what pushes people to relocate to cities? As we analyzed the data, one element emerged repeatedly: Education. Schools and universities are primarily concentrated in urban regions. When education becomes centralized, so does opportunity, and families follow along.
Cities continued to receive more people than they could fairly support, until traffic, exorbitant rents, overcrowded hospitals and schools, and job competitiveness became daily issues. Meanwhile, rural villages lost young people, businesses collapsed, agriculture stagnated, and cultural traditions disappeared. If nothing changes, this gap will increase much further, making it incredibly difficult reversing it later.
The outcome, however, can be very different. If rural communities provide strong and accessible education, families will no longer feel compelled to relocate.
Building new educational institutions outside of large cities, boosting the quality of existing rural schools, and increasing access through transportation and online learning can all help to transform rural areas into places of opportunity. Progress can be validated by tracking enrollment, graduation rates, and attendance trends.
When rural education becomes strong and accessible, the map of Lebanon changes: cities grow at an appropriate pace, while villages regain life rather than fading. This is why Lebanon’s 2026 strategy should prioritize rural education. Investing in rural education now means committing to a future in which both cities and villages prosper, and every child has the opportunity to excel without having to leave home.