National Identity
- Official name
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Official name (in Arabic)
- الجمهورية العربية السورية
- Official name (in Arabic, Romanized)
- Al-Jumhūrīyah Al-‘Arabīyah As-Sūrīyah
- Name etymology
the source of the name is uncertain; the name appears as "Suri" in Babylonian cuneiform writings dating from about 4000 B.C.
Sources:- Constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic Approved in Popular Referendum on February 24, 2012 ↗ - Syrian e-Gov Web Portal
- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- National emblem
- National flag
Translated from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) The Syrian flag shall be in the following form: [...] and it is divided into three equal parallel colours, the uppermost green, then white, then black, provided that its white section contains, in a single straight line, three red five-pointed stars
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Al-Ikhbariah Syrian Channel The colours of the Syrian flag represent values rooted in society, as the green colour represents the Rashidun Caliphate, while the white colour represents the Umayyad state, and the black the Abbasid state, whereas the three stars represent Damascus, Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Al-Ikhbariah Syrian Channel The First Independence Banner
Syria waged a revolution from 1925 onward that was crowned with independence, and with it the flag with its three stars appeared for the first time in 1928 in the first draft constitution of the First Syrian Republic, while the country was still under the control of the French Mandate. It was proposed at the time by Ibrahim Hananu, chairman of the constitution committee in the Constituent Assembly that was tasked with drafting the constitution of the republic.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) President Shukri Bey al-Quwatli raised the independence flag in the sky of Syria on the day of its liberation from the French Mandate on 17 April 1946 [...] and the banner of Syria remained unchanged until President Gamal Abdel Nasser came to power in 1958, [...] and then the flag was replaced by a flag inspired by the same colours, with two green stars symbolising Syria and Egypt. When the union republic collapsed in 1961, the Syrians restored their old flag, and it remained in use until 1 May 1963
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Al-Ikhbariah Syrian Channel Return of the Union Flag under Assad
In 1980 the defunct regime of Hafez al-Assad decided to adopt the union flag again, despite the absence of any actual unity project, and this flag became the one officially used until the outbreak of the revolution in 2011. During this period, the flag became associated in the minds of many Syrians with the security authorities and the domination of the defunct Baath Party, and lost its unifying national symbolism.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Al-Ikhbariah Syrian Channel The Revolution Restores the Flag's Value
With the start of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, demonstrators in various Syrian cities and towns once again raised the independence flag, and called it the “revolution flag”
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from Al-Ikhbariah Syrian Channel With the victory of the revolution and the overthrow of the defunct regime of Bashar al-Assad, the independence flag once again took on the status of the official flag of Syria, and was adopted in official institutions. It was also raised at embassies in various countries of the world, as well as at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerSources:- sana.sy ↗ - the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
- alikhbariah.com ↗ - Al-Ikhbariah Syrian Channel
- National anthem
- Ħumāt ad-Diyār (حُمَاةَ الدِّيَار)1:06
- Title (in Arabic)
- حُمَاةَ الدِّيَار
- Title (in Arabic, Romanized)
- Ħumāt ad-Diyār
- Title (in English, translated)
- Guardians of the Homeland
- Lyrics
1حـماةَ الـديارِ عليكمْ سـلامْ أبَتْ أنْ تـذِلَّ النفـوسُ الكرامْ عـرينُ العروبةِ بيتٌ حَـرام وعرشُ الشّموسِ حِمَىً لا يُضَامْ ربوعُ الشّـآمِ بـروجُ العَـلا تُحاكي السّـماءَ بعـالي السَّـنا فأرضٌ زهتْ بالشّموسِ الوِضَا سَـماءٌ لَعَمـرُكَ أو كالسَّـما
2رفيـفُ الأماني وخَفـقُ الفؤادْ عـلى عَـلَمٍ ضَمَّ شَـمْلَ البلادْ أما فيهِ منْ كُـلِّ عـينٍ سَـوادْ ومِـن دمِ كـلِّ شَـهيدٍ مِـدادْ؟ نفـوسٌ أبـاةٌ ومـاضٍ مجيـدْ وروحُ الأضاحي رقيبٌ عَـتيدْ فمِـنّا الوليـدُ و مِـنّا الرّشـيدْ فلـمْ لا نَسُـودُ ولِمْ لا نشـيد؟
Source: - Citizens
- Syrians
- Official name:Constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic Approved in Popular Referendum on February 24, 2012 ↗ - Syrian e-Gov Web Portal
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- National flag:sana.sy ↗ - the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
- National flag:alikhbariah.com ↗ - Al-Ikhbariah Syrian Channel
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Total area
- 187,437 km²
- Land area
- 185,887 km²
- Water area
- 1,550 km²
- Land borders
- 2,363 km(5 countries)
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- 899 km
- Iraq
- 599 km
- Lebanon
- 403 km
- Jordan
- 379 km
- Israel
- 83 km
Source:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Coastline
- 193 km
- Terrain
Primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west - Mean elevation
- 514 m
- Highest point
- 2,814 mMount Hermon (Jabal a-Shayk)
- Lowest point
- −66 mYarmuk River
- Climate
Mostly desert hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus - Avg. temperature
- 19.1 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 13.2 to 25.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 230 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 11.7 7 3.1 41 February 13.9 8.9 4.3 37 March 18.6 13 7.5 33 April 24 17.9 11.4 22 May 29.8 23.2 16.2 13 June 34.6 27.8 20.6 2 July 37.3 30.3 23.3 1 August 37.1 30.1 23.2 1 September 33.6 26.6 20 2 October 27.9 21.3 15.4 16 November 19.4 13.5 8.6 27 December 13.5 8.5 4.5 36 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable24.0%Perm. crops5.7%Pasture44.5%Forest2.9%Other23.0%
- Arable land
- 4,400,000 hectares (24.0%)
- Permanent crops
- 1,042,900 hectares (5.7%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 8,164,000 hectares (44.5%)
- Forest
- 527,746 hectares (2.9%)
- Other land
- 4,229,254 hectares (23.0%)
Source: - Natural hazards2026
- Drought8.6Very high#5/191Earthquakes7.2Very high#39/191River floods6.3High#60/191Epidemics5.5High#77/191Tsunamis2.3Very low#87/191Coastal floods2.1Very low#122/191Tropical cyclones0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +3.33% per year+852,070 people/yearWorld Rank2ndof 237
- Birth rate
- 23.6 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 4.8 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +11.6 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 23.8 yearsWorld Rank176thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years27.9%15-64 years67.1%65 years +5.0%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 5.0%
- Share aged under 18
- 34.6%
- Total dependency ratio
- 49
- Youth dependency ratio
- 42
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 7
- Sex ratio
- 1 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.2% 0.4% 70-79 1.0% 1.3% 60-69 2.2% 2.6% 50-59 3.7% 4.0% 40-49 5.1% 5.3% 30-39 6.8% 6.6% 20-29 11.0% 10.7% 10-19 10.5% 10.0% 0-9 9.6% 9.2% - 2026
- 0.52 above the replacement level for Syria ()2.62 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank69thof 237
- 1.24 daughters per woman0.24 above replacement, long-run each generation larger than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +18.9 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 18.9 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +11.6 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 72.1% live in cities19,087,033 urban residents
- Largest urban areas2026
- Dimashq (Damascus), Aleppo, Homs, LatakiaRankUrban AreaPopulation (2026 estimate)1Dimashq (Damascus)4,426,7672Aleppo3,010,8463Homs963,3154Latakia604,4305Hama384,1396Qamishli295,3147Deir Ez Zor272,8478Raqqa244,1109Al-Hasakah241,75810Manbij182,251
Unlike official city figures, UN urban areas cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.
- Population distribution
- Significant population density along the Mediterranean coast; larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs); more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Halab, and the Euphrates River valley.The civil war altered the population distribution.
- Ethnic groups
- Arab~50%Alawite~15%Kurd~10%Levantine~10%Other~15%
Other includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian.
Source:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Religions
- The Christian population may be smaller after wartime departures.Muslim87.0%Christian10.0%Druze3.0%
- Muslim
- 87.0%
- Sunni
- 74.0%
- Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia
- 13.0%
Christian includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian.Islam is the official religion.
Source:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Languages
- Arabic (العربية)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization, Largest cities:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicA Constitutional Declaration signed on 13 March 2025 governs a five-year transitional period; a new People's Assembly first met in July 2026.
- System of government
- Not statedThe 2025 Constitutional Declaration sets out the President's powers but not how the President is chosen, so the system cannot be determined: Presidential and Semi-presidential require election by voters, Parliamentary and Assembly-independent choice by the legislature.
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Transitional arrangement
- Yes
- Territorial control
- ContestedThe State of Israel controls the Golan west of the 1974 ceasefire line and positions in the buffer zone beyond it; local forces and an administrative council control most of Suwayda governorate.
- Capital
- Damascus2.1 million people(2024)
- National holidays
- 20 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- SunMar 8Revolution Day
- FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- SatMar 21Eid al-Fitr (estimated)Mother's Day
- SunMar 22Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- SunApr 5Gregorian Easter Sunday
- SunApr 12Julian Easter Sunday
- FriApr 17Independence Day
- FriMay 1Labor Day
- WedMay 6Martyrs' Day
- TueMay 26Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- ThuMay 28Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- FriMay 29Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- TueJun 16Islamic New Year (estimated)
- TueAug 25Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
- TueOct 6Tishreen Liberation War Day
- TueDec 8Liberation Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- EETSyria TimeUTC+3
- Currency
- Syrian Pound (SYP)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information (in Arabic)
- Calling code
- +963
- Internet TLD
- .sy
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- SY, SYR
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 610,745 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 13
- Aircraft departures
- 5,131 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 1.6 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- YK
Sources:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- Syrian Air (in Arabic)State-owned
- Passenger rail
- Syrian Railways (CFS) (in Arabic)
- 2025
- 15 / 100World Rank172ndof 182
Significant declinerDown 11 points since 2012, when it scored 26.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 26 22 31 2013 17 11 23 2014 20 11 29 2015 18 9 27 2016 13 10 16 2017 14 11 17 2018 13 10 16 2019 13 9.8 16.2 2020 14 11.4 16.6 2021 13 10.4 15.6 2022 13 10.4 15.6 2023 13 10.4 15.6 2024 12 9 15 2025 15 10.9 19.1 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation, Transitional arrangement, Territorial control:Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic, 13 March 2025, unofficial English translation ↗ - ConstitutionNet (International IDEA)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Low income
- 2022
- Services44.7% of GDPIndustry11.9% of GDPAgriculture42.9% of GDPThe shape of the economySource:
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Labor force2024
- 6.5 million (26% of population)World Rank73rdof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 37.0% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 13.4%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 32.8% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $11.5 per hour worked at PPP
- Trade2023
- Source:
- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Agricultural products2024
- Raw milk of sheep, Olives, Meat of sheep (fresh or chilled), and 7 more
- 1Raw milk of sheep62.6×
- 2Olives26.4×
- 3Meat of sheep (fresh or chilled)14.5×
- 4Pomelos and grapefruits12.5×
- 5Barley9.5×
- 6Oranges5.5×
- 7Lemons and limes5×
- 8Tomatoes3.6×
- 9Tangerines and mandarins (including clementines)3×
- 10Grapes2.7×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly
- Income level, GDP by sector:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- 2022
- SYP 9,765 per month, gross$4 (USD)
- Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.564MediumWorld Rank162ndof 193SyriaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Syria World 1990 0.572 0.608 1991 0.577 0.611 1992 0.582 0.614 1993 0.583 0.617 1994 0.587 0.620 1995 0.587 0.625 1996 0.590 0.631 1997 0.593 0.636 1998 0.595 0.641 1999 0.595 0.646 2000 0.594 0.651 2001 0.602 0.657 2002 0.610 0.662 2003 0.621 0.669 2004 0.635 0.675 2005 0.646 0.681 2006 0.658 0.688 2007 0.665 0.694 2008 0.660 0.698 2009 0.668 0.701 2010 0.669 0.707 2011 0.664 0.713 2012 0.626 0.717 2013 0.567 0.721 2014 0.561 0.726 2015 0.549 0.731 2016 0.552 0.735 2017 0.551 0.739 2018 0.557 0.741 2019 0.569 0.745 2020 0.570 0.742 2021 0.571 0.742 2022 0.571 0.752 2023 0.564 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2022
- 26.4
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 5.9 years
- Expected for a child today
- 7.4 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2021
- 94.4% of adults
- Internet users2017latest available
- 32.7% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 45%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2017latest available
- 15.4 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 2,726,193
- Fixed broadband
- 7.4 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2011latest available
- 3% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 6%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 23%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 10,983 people
- Asylum seekers
- 4,455
- Stateless persons
- 160,000
- Internally displaced persons
- 5,964,000All due to conflicts
- Refugees from Syria abroad
- 5,484,575
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2011latest available
- 5.1 million arrivals
- Per resident
- 2.2 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 1.4 million arrivals
- Visitor spending in the country
- $1.8 billion
- Spending per arrival
- $358
- Residents' spending abroad
- $850 million
- Hotel beds
- 58,422(2021, latest available)
- Average hotel stay
- 5 nights(2021, latest available)
A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 6 sites6 cultural
Site Ancient City of Damascus Ancient City of Bosra Site of Palmyra Ancient City of Aleppo Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din Ancient Villages of Northern Syria Source:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini):World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- Very high8.9 out of 10Conflict and violence, Drought and drier conditions, Political and economic crisisSeverity by monthSep 2024 to Aug 2026What the score is made ofImpact of the crisis9.4Conditions of people affected9.0Complexity of the crisis8.4
Data reliability as rated by INFORM: Very high. Last updated Aug 31, 2026.
Source:- INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Crime rates
- 5 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Serious assault 0.7 135 2018 Sexual violence 0.3 67 2018 Burglary 8.5 1,671 2018 Theft 16.6 3,252 2018 Vehicle theft 2.7 532 2018 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Crime rates:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 73.4 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 2.7% of GDP$33 per person
- Physicians2021
- 1.52 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2021
- 1.4 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 13.3 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 20 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 0.1 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 14.9 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 31.4 Mt per yearup 0.3 percent on the previous year0.3% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 1.4 t per personWorld Rank140thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.08%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 6.41 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 3.91 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 5.39 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 47.2 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 24.5 µg/m³ of PM2.51.9 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted41stof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- deforestation
- overgrazing
- soil erosion
- desertification
- depletion of water resources
- water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes
- inadequate potable water
Source:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- International agreements
- 18 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 76 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2017 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1996 Kyoto Protocol in force 2006 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1990 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1990 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1996 CITES in force 2003 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2003 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2004 Nagoya Protocol in force 2014 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1998 World Heritage Convention in force 1975 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1997 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1992 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2005 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 in force 1989 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 9.9% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 17 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 748 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 72% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 17 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 88%
- Water stress
- 124% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 32.2% of the population6.9 million people
- Obesity2024
- 33% of adults
- Men
- 25.2%
- Women
- 40.1%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2010latest available
- 10.4% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 17 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.07%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 69% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Exports only, 0.6 TWh exported, nothing imported in 202425 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 25 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 19 TWh per year
- Exports
- 0.6 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Deficitproduces 49% of what it consumes, 2024Oil reserves20252.5 billion barrelsWorld Rank31stof 99Imports2018129,120 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
Defense
- Military service2025
- Conscription abolishedannounced by the interim government after Assad's fall, to be reinstated only in extreme cases such as national emergencies relating to war; under Bashar al-Assad, men 18–38 were required to serve 18–21 months
- Space program2025
- Syrian Space Agency (created in 2014); status is unclear since the fall of the ASAD Government
Status unclear; has been handicapped by the impact of the civil war, including the loss of students and scientists who fled the country; had previously focused on satellite development and related space technologies, as well as scientific research; has relations with the space agency and space industries of Russia
- 1987
- First and only Syrian astronaut into space as part of a Soviet-crewed mission to the Mir Space Station under the Intercosmos program
- 2016
- Signed a scientific cooperation agreement in the field of space technology and remote sensing with Russia
- 2018
- Announced that developing a satellite would be a primary goal of the space program
Key milestones
Source:- The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military service, Space program:The World Factbook: Syria - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
