Skip to content
CountryAtlas

Syria

Syrian Arab Republic

Capital
Damascus
Region
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Income group
Low income
Population
25.6M (2025)
Area
185,180 km²
Currency
Syrian pound (SYP)
Data refreshed 11 Sep 2026Updated 7 h ago85 % coverage · 214 indicators
Compare Download

At a glance

Twelve headline indicators, latest available year.

Population
57th of 218 · 10th in MENA+
GDP
115th of 212 · 17th in MENA+*
GDP per capita
188th of 212 · 21st in MENA+*
GDP growth
186th of 213 · 19th in MENA+*
Inflation
183rd of 197 · 21st in MENA+*
Unemployment
167th of 185 · 15th in MENA+
Life expectancy
130th of 217 · 15th in MENA+
Median age
160th of 216 · 18th in MENA+
Gross debt / GDP
72nd of 189 · 10th in MENA+*
CO₂ per capita
69th of 212 · 6th in MENA+
Renewable electricity
169th of 193 · 17th in MENA+
Internet users
137th of 182 · 20th in MENA+*

What changed in Syria

Statistically notable movements in the latest data.

  1. Record high2023Major
    Median age reached a record high of 22.2 years in 2023 (series since 1950).
  2. Record high2025Major
    Population reached a record high of 25.6M people in 2025 (series since 1960).
  3. Sharp rise2023Major
    Median age rose 0.7 years to 22.2 years in 2023 (largest rise since 2019).
  4. Sharp drop2023Major
    Air pollution (PM2.5) fell 9.4 % to 32.1 µg/m³ in 2023 (largest drop since 2016).
  5. Sharp drop2025Major
    Women in parliament fell 4.7 points to 4.9 % in 2025 (largest drop on record).
  6. Sharp drop2025Major
    Net migration fell 124,801 people to 421,693 people in 2025 (largest drop since 2024).
  7. Sharp rise2024Major
    CO₂ emissions from coal rose 16.7 % to 0.0 Mt in 2024 (largest rise since 2023).
  8. Sharp rise2023Major
    Fertilizer consumption rose 169.8 % to 17 kg/ha in 2023 (largest rise since 2016).

Countries similar to Syria

Nearest peers by standardised distance on the selected dimension.

  1. 1Senegal65
  2. 2Gambia62
  3. 3Haiti60
  4. 4Republic of the Congo60
  5. 5Ghana59
  6. 6Guinea-Bissau58
  7. 7Mauritania58
  8. 8Honduras58

Country DNA

Percentile rank among all countries on nine dimensions. Descriptive, not a score.

Country DNACountry DNA fingerprint of Syria: Income 17, Demographics 28, Urbanisation 63, Trade 8, Energy 27, Emissions 32, Innovation 22, Education 28, Public spending 44.Income 17Demographics 28Urbanisation 63Trade 8Energy 27Emissions 32Innovation 22Education 28Public spending 44

2025

Key facts

Computed from the data — no model-generated numbers.

  • Life expectancy gained 1.7 years since 2000, from 70.9 years to 72.6 years in 2024.

  • Syria's population grew 54.0 % between 2000 and 2025, from 16.6M people to 25.6M people.

  • Renewables' share of electricity generation fell from 5.6 % in 2010 to 3.5 % in 2024 (−2.1 points).

  • Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, Syria ranks 21st of 23 for GDP per capita (PPP) (intl $ 4,905, 2022).

  • 72.1 % of the population lived in urban areas in 2025, compared with 51.9 % in 2000.

  • Unemployment of 13.6 % in 2025 is above the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan median of 7.5 %.

  • 33.8 % of people used the internet in 2018, up from 20.7 % in 2010.

  • CO₂ emissions of 1.29 t per person are 0.42× the world median of 3.10 t (2024).

  • Life expectancy of 72.6 years ranks 15th of 23 in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (2024).

  • The fertility rate fell from 4.07 births/woman in 2000 to 2.70 births/woman in 2024.

  • GDP grew -1.8 % a year on average over 2014–2022.

  • Trade is worth 35.4 % of GDP (2022), below the world median of 88.7 %.

  • GDP per capita fell from US$ 1,138 in 2000 to US$ 1,057 in 2022 (−7.2 % in current US dollars).

  • With a median age of 22.2 years, Syria ranks 160th of 216 countries worldwide (2023).

Borders: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye

Languages: Arabic

Timeline

Records, reversals and turning points across the whole history.

  1. 2025
  2. 2024
  3. 2023

Explore Syria by topic

19 topics · 245 indicators with data.