Statistics Syria 
Syria in the World
Syria - Introduction 2015
top of pageBackground:
Following World War I France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability and experienced a series of military coups. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961 the two entities separated and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War Syria lost the Golan Heights region to Israel. During the 1990s Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. In November 1970 Hafiz al-ASAD a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. Following the death of President al-ASAD his son Bashar al-ASAD was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In May 2007 Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum.
Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge the legalization of political parties and the removal of corrupt local officials. Since then demonstrations and violent unrest spread to nearly every city in Syria with the size and intensity of protests fluctuating. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and military force. However the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD's resignation and the government's ongoing violence to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity has led to extended clashes between government forces and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011 as the Arab League EU Turkey and the US expanded economic sanctions against the regime. In December 2012 the Syrian National Coalition was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Peace talks between the Coalition and Syrian regime at the UN-sponsored Geneva II conference in 2014 failed to produce a resolution of the conflict. Unrest continues in Syria and according to a January 2015 UN estimate the death toll among Syrian Government forces opposition forces and civilians had reached 220,000 So far the conflict has displaced 11.6 million people including 7.6 million people internally making the situation in Syria the largest humanitarian crisis worldwide.
Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge the legalization of political parties and the removal of corrupt local officials. Since then demonstrations and violent unrest spread to nearly every city in Syria with the size and intensity of protests fluctuating. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and military force. However the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD's resignation and the government's ongoing violence to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity has led to extended clashes between government forces and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011 as the Arab League EU Turkey and the US expanded economic sanctions against the regime. In December 2012 the Syrian National Coalition was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Peace talks between the Coalition and Syrian regime at the UN-sponsored Geneva II conference in 2014 failed to produce a resolution of the conflict. Unrest continues in Syria and according to a January 2015 UN estimate the death toll among Syrian Government forces opposition forces and civilians had reached 220,000 So far the conflict has displaced 11.6 million people including 7.6 million people internally making the situation in Syria the largest humanitarian crisis worldwide.
Area
Total: 185,180 km²
Land: 183,630 km²
Water: 1550 km²
Note: includes 1295 km² of Israeli-occupied territory
Rank: 89
Comparative: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Pennsylvania
Land boundaries
Total: 2,363 km
Border countries: (5) Iraq 599 km; Israel 83 km; Jordan 379 km; Lebanon 403 km; Turkey 899 km
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
Elevation
Extremes lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Natural resources: petroleum phosphates chrome and manganese ores asphalt iron ore rock salt marble gypsum hydropower
Land use
Agricultural land: 75.8%
arable land: 25.4%
permanent crops: 5.8%
permanent pasture: 44.6%
permanent crops: 5.8%
permanent pasture: 44.6%
Forest: 2.7%
Other: 21.5%
Natural hazards: dust storms sandstorms
Volcanism: Syria's two historically active volcanoes Es Safa and an unnamed volcano near the Turkish border have not erupted in centuries
Geography
Note: the capital of Damascus - located at an oasis fed by the Barada River - is thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities; there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (2014 est.)
Syria - People 2015
top of pagePopulation: 17,064,854 (July 2014 est.)
Note: approximately 18,900 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 61
Growth rate: -0.16% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 233
Below poverty line: 11.9% (2006 est.)
Languages: Arabic (official) Kurdish Armenian Aramaic Circassian (widely understood); French English (somewhat understood)
Religions: Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi Ismaili and Shia 13%) Christian (includes Orthodox Uniate and Nestorian) 10% (includes Orthodox Uniate and Nestorian) Druze 3% Jewish (few remaining in Damascus and Aleppo)
Age structure
0-14 years: 32.49%
15-24 years: 19.85%
25-54 years: 38.57%
55-64 years: 5.07%
65 years and over: 4.02% (2015 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 70%
Youth dependency ratio: 63.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.9%
Potential support ratio: 14.5%
Urbanization
Urban population: 57.7% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change
Major urban areas
Population: Aleppo 3.562 million; DAMASCUS (capital) 2.566 million; Hims 1.641 million; Hamah 1.237 million; Lattakia 781,000 (2015)
Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female
Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.61 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 17.95 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.13 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 103
Drinking water source:
urban: 92.3% of population
rural: 87.2% of population
total: 90.1% of population
urban: 7.7% of population
rural: 12.8% of population
total: 9.9% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 87.2% of population
total: 90.1% of population
urban: 7.7% of population
rural: 12.8% of population
total: 9.9% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 96.2% of population
rural: 95.1% of population
total: 95.7% of population
urban: 3.8% of population
rural: 4.9% of population
total: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 95.1% of population
total: 95.7% of population
urban: 3.8% of population
rural: 4.9% of population
total: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)
Syria - Government 2015
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic
Conventional short form: Syria
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah
Local short form: Suriyah
Former: United Arab Republic
Capital
Name: Damascus
Geographic coordinates: 33 30 N 36 18 E
Time difference: UTC+2
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins midnight on the last Friday in March; ends at midnight on the first Friday in November
Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazat singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah Al Ladhiqiyah (Latakia) Al Qunaytirah Ar Raqqah As Suwayda' Dar'a Dayr az Zawr Dimashq (Damascus) Halab Hamah Hims (Homs) Idlib Rif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside) Tartus
Constitution: several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012 passed by referendum 26 February 2012 (2015)
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Executive branch
Chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD ; Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 21 February 2006); Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006)
Head of government: Prime Minister Wael al-HALQI ; Deputy Prime Ministers Fahd Jasim al-FURAYJ Lt. Gen. Walid al-MUALEM
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term ; election last held on 3 June 2014 (next to be held in June 2021); the president appoints the vice presidents prime minister and deputy prime ministers
Election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 88.7% Hassan al-NOURI (independent) 4.3% Maher HAJJER (independent) 3.2% other/invalid 3.8%
Legislative branch
Description: unicameral People's Assembly or Majlis al-Shaab
Elections: last held on 7 May 2012
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Judicial branch
Highest court: Court of Cassation ; Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 4 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC a judicial management body headed by the minister of justice with 7 members including the national president; judge tenure NA; Supreme Constitutional Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the SJC; judges appointed for 4-year renewable terms
Subordinate courts: courts of first instance; magistrates' courts; religious and military courts; Economic Security Court
Political parties and leaders
Legal parties: National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar al-ASAD Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]:
Kurdish Democratic Unity Party
Kurdish Democratic Yekiti Party
Kurdish Future Party or KFP
Kurdish Future Party [Rezan HASSAN]
Kurdish Left Party
Kurdish Yekiti (Union) Party
Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party
Kurdish Democratic Yekiti Party
Kurdish Future Party or KFP
Kurdish Future Party [Rezan HASSAN]
Kurdish Left Party
Kurdish Yekiti (Union) Party
Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party
Kurdish parties: Kurdish Azadi Party
Other: Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]
International organization participation: ABEDA AFESD AMF CAEU FAO G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation
In the us note: Embassy ceased operation on 18 March 2014
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Mounir KOUDMANI
In the us chancery: 2,215 Wyoming Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 232-6,313
In the us FAX: [1] 234-9,548
From the us chief of mission: ambassador ; Special Envoy to Syria Daniel RUBINSTEIN (since March 2014); note - on 6 February 2012 the US closed its embassy in Damascus
From the us embassy: Abou Roumaneh Al-Mansour Street No. 2 Damascus
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 29 Damascus
From the us telephone: [963] 3,391-4,444
From the us FAX: [963] 3,391-3,999
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and black; two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black) overcome through bloody struggle (red) to be replaced by a bright future (white); identical to the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; the current design dates to 1980
Note: similar to the flag of Yemen which has a plain white band Iraq which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band and that of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band
National anthem
Name: 'Humat ad-Diyar'
Lyrics and music: Khalil Mardam BEY/Mohammad Salim FLAYFEL and Ahmad Salim FLAYFEL
Note: adopted 1936 restored 1961; between 1958 and 1961 while Syria was a member of the United Arab Republic with Egypt the country had a different anthem
Syria - Economy 2015
top of pageEconomy overview: Syria's economy continues to deteriorate amid the ongoing conflict that began in 2011. The economy further contracted in 2014 because of international sanctions widespread infrastructure damage diminished domestic consumption and production reduced subsidies and high inflation. The government has struggled to address the effects of economic decline which include dwindling foreign exchange reserves rising budget and trade deficits and the decreasing value of the Syrian pound and household purchasing power. During 2014 the ongoing conflict and continued unrest and economic decline worsened the humanitarian crisis and elicited a greater need for international assistance as the number of people in need inside Syria increased from 9.3 million to 12.2 million and the number of Syrian refugees increased from 2.2 million to more than 3.3 million. Prior to the turmoil Damascus began liberalizing economic policies including cutting lending interest rates opening private banks consolidating multiple exchange rates raising prices on some subsidized items and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange but the economy remains highly regulated. Long-run economic constraints include foreign trade barriers declining oil production high unemployment rising budget deficits increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture rapid population growth industrial expansion water pollution and widespread infrastructure damage.
Real gdp purchasing power parity: the war driven deterioration of the economy resulted in a disappearance of quality national level statistics in 2012-13
Note: data are in 2011 US dollars
Rank: 81
Real gdp per capita:
$5,100 (2011 est.)
$5,100 (2010 est.)
$5,200 (2010 est.)
$5,100 (2010 est.)
$5,200 (2010 est.)
Note: data are in 2011 US dollars
Rank: 165
Gross national saving:
13.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
10.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
12.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
10.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
12.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 126
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 67.8%
Government consumption: 19.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 18.2%
Investment in inventories: 9.5%
Exports of goods and services: 7.5%
Imports of goods and services: -22.4%: (2014 est.)
Agriculture products: wheat barley cotton lentils chickpeas olives sugar beets; beef mutton eggs poultry milk
Industries: petroleum textiles food processing beverages tobacco phosphate rock mining cement oil seeds crushing automobile assembly
Labor force: 4.022 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 91
By occupation agriculture: 17%
By occupation industry: 16%
By occupation services: 67%
Budget
Revenues: $1.73 billion
Expenditures: $5.5 billion
Surplus or deficit: -5.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 179
Stock of narrow money:
$7.001 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$8.056 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$8.056 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
Rank: 90
Stock of broad money:
$11.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$12.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$12.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
Rank: 104
Stock of domestic credit:
$6.966 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$7.738 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$7.738 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
Rank: 114
Exports:
$2.031 billion (2014 est.)
$1.939 billion (2013 est.)
$1.939 billion (2013 est.)
Rank: 145
Commodities: crude oil minerals petroleum products fruits and vegetables cotton fiber textiles clothing meat and live animals wheat
Partners: Iraq 59.9% Saudi Arabia 10% Kuwait 6.5% UAE 5.6% Libya 4.3% (2013)
Imports:
$7.657 billion (2014 est.)
$7.552 billion (2013 est.)
$7.552 billion (2013 est.)
Rank: 113
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment electric power machinery food and livestock metal and metal products chemicals and chemical products plastics yarn paper
Partners: Saudi Arabia 24.6% UAE 12.1% Iran 8.9% Iraq 7.3% Turkey 6% China 4.6% Ukraine 4.1% (2013)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.725 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.895 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$1.895 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
Rank: 125
Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar -
152.9 (2014 est.)
108.426 (2013 est.)
64.39 (2012 est.)
48.371 (2011 est.)
11.225 (2010 est.)
152.9 (2014 est.)
108.426 (2013 est.)
64.39 (2012 est.)
48.371 (2011 est.)
11.225 (2010 est.)
Syria - Energy 2015
top of pageElectricity
Production: 38.78 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 59
Consumption: 35.37 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 59
Exports: 1.192 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 55
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 205
Installed generating capacity: 8.323 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 62
Generation sources fossil fuels: 89.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 78
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 183
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 10.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 114
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 126
Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 74,820 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 52
Crude oil exports: 152,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 33
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 125
Crude oil proven reserves: 2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 33
Refined petroleum
Products production: 253,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 49
Products consumption: 257,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 49
Products exports: 36,210 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 65
Products imports: 104,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 50
Natural gas
Production: 6.442 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 48
Consumption: 6.442 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 56
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 185
Imports: 250 million m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 71
Proven reserves: 240.7 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 45
Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 50.92 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 61
Syria - Communication 2015
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 3.99 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22
Fixed lines rank: 41
Mobile cellular total: 15.6 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 87
Mobile cellular rank: 66
Telephone system
General assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades including fiber-optic technology and expansion of the network to rural areas; the armed insurgency that began in 2011 has led to major disruptions to the network and has caused telephone and Internet outages throughout the country
Domestic: the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing with telephone subscribership nearly 60 per 100 persons in 2011
International: country code - 963; submarine cable connection to Egypt Lebanon and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq Jordan Lebanon and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel (2011)
Broadcast media: state-run TV and radio broadcast networks; state operates 2 TV networks and a satellite channel; roughly two-thirds of Syrian homes have a satellite dish providing access to foreign TV broadcasts; 3 state-run radio channels; first private radio station launched in 2005; private radio broadcasters prohibited from transmitting news or political content (2007)
Syria - Military 2015
top of pageMilitary service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 18 months; women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve; re-enlistment obligation 5 years with retirement after 15 years or age 40 (enlisted) or 20 years or age 45 (NCOs) (2012)
Syria - Transportation 2015
top of pageAirports: 90 (2013)
Rank: 62
With paved runways total: 29
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 16
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 5
With unpaved runways total: 61
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways: 48 (2013)
Railways
Total: 2,052 km
Standard gauge: 1801 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge
Rank: 72
Merchant marine
Total: 19
By type: bulk carrier 4 cargo 14 carrier 1
Registered in other countries: 166 (2010)
Rank: 95
Syria - Transnational issues 2015
top of pageDisputes international: Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000 Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms in the Golan Heights; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 526,744 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2014); undetermined (Iraq) (2015)
Note: the ongoing civil war has created more than 4 million Syrian refugees - dispersed in Egypt Iraq Jordan Lebanon and Turkey - as of August 2015
IDPs: 7,632,500 (2015)
Stateless persons: 160,000 ; note - Syria's stateless population is composed of Kurds and Palestinians; stateless persons are prevented from voting owning land holding certain jobs receiving food subsidies or public healthcare enrolling in public schools or being legally married to Syrian citizens; in 1962 some 120,000 Syrian Kurds were stripped of their Syrian citizenship rendering them and their descendants stateless; in 2011 the Syrian Government granted citizenship to thousands of Syrian Kurds as a means of appeasement; however resolving the question of statelessness is not a priority given Syria's ongoing civil war
Illicit drugs: a transit point for opiates hashish and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering
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