Syria Scope Travel proudly presents Syria through numbers. We obtained the information from national and official sources and, after conducting cross-referencing and comparison with multiple sources, we provide you with reliable and accurate numbers about Syria statistics.
Tourists and visitors can easily understand the place through these numbers.

Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country with a rich history and complex present. This blog post is for you to provide a statistical overview of Syria, covering various aspects of its geography, demographics, economy, and social structure.

Location and Area

Syria is located in the western part of Asia, in a middle position between Asia, Europe, and Africa between longitude lines east 36-42 and latitude lines north 29-37.
Bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Palestine to the southwest.
Syria contains diverse terrains: mountains, valleys, deserts, and plains.
In addition, the highest point in Syria is 2814 meters, which is to the south of the eastern Lebanese mountain range.
70% of Syria’s land is the Badia desert.
The average rainfall in the coastal region is 1200 mm.
The total area of Syria: is 185,000 square kilometers or 21,000 square miles or 18 million hectares.
The total length of Syria’s borders with neighboring countries is 2413 km as follows: Turkey 110 km, Iraq 96 km, Jordan 256 km, Palestine 21 km, Lebanon 201 km.

Population Size and Growth

Syria’s population was estimated to be 22 million in 2011, with an additional 10 million Syrians living outside the country. The population growth rate has historically been higher than the global average. The population growth rate was 1.4% in 2009, in fact, the global population growth rate was 1.70%, and the population growth rate in Europe is almost zero.
Age Structure: A significant portion of the population consists of young individuals, with over 60% under the age of 18. The average age is about 72 years, with men averaging 71 years and women averaging 73 years.
The poverty rate hovers around 12%The unemployment rate stands at 11.5%. The average family size includes 5 people.
Most importantly, it is necessary to secure 200,000 job opportunities annually.
Marriage rate: males around 30 years, females around 26 years.
Geographic Distribution: Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs are the most populous cities, with millions of residents each.

Religion

Islam is the predominant religion of almost 86%, in fact, Muslims make up the vast majority of the Syrian population, including Sunnis and Shi’a Muslims, also, Sunni Muslims make up about 74%, while Shi’a groups constitute about 13%.
The Syrian Druze community forms approximately 3% of the population of Syria.

Political System of Syria

Syria is currently undergoing a political transition after the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024. A transitional government, headed by Mohammed al-Bashir, has been formed to govern the country until 1 March 2025.
Authorities suspended the Syrian constitution and parliament on 12 December 2024 for the duration of the transitional period.

Economy and Finance

Economic growth rate: 5.8% in 2009. State budget: 835 billion Syrian pounds (18 billion dollars) in 2011.
The previous conflict severely damaged Syria’s economy, leading to significant economic decline, inflation, and unemployment.
Recent financial data is limited due to the previous situation.
Number of banks: 17 banks, including 6 governmental and 11 private.
However, key sectors in the economy of Syria include oil and gas, agriculture (26%), industry (27%), tourism (12%), and (40%) of other sectors.

Industry

The prolonged conflict has caused substantial setbacks in the Syrian industrial sector, destroying facilities and disrupting the workforce.
Despite these challenges, policymakers are actively working to revitalize industries through reconstruction initiatives and potential reforms aimed at encouraging investment and rebuilding infrastructure.
125,000 industrial facilities, 4 large industrial zones, and Homs is the economic base in the region.
Syria had various industries, including textiles, food processing, chemicals, and petroleum.

Specifically, the most important industries, are oil extraction and refining, and Syria’s gas production, there are 15 oil and gas exploration companies in Syria.
Foodstuffs, oils, cheeses, canned food, sugar, biscuits, drinks, grains, and grain processing. Textiles and various modern and traditional types, such as brocade, silk, ready-made and home clothes, towels (Syrian exports of textiles and fabrics 32 billion dollars), and leather tanning.
Cement, porcelain, building stones, wood, furniture, and mosaics.
Soap and detergents.
Medicine: more than 1500 types of drugs are produced, 90% of Syria’s needs are met, and they are exported to 55 countries worldwide.
Also, there are about 70 pharmaceutical factories.
Metal and mechanical industries, ovens, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, tractors, excavators, and cars.
Electronic industries for air conditioning and telephone exchanges.
Chemical and fertilizer industries.

Agriculture

Agriculture has traditionally been a crucial sector of the Syrian economy.
In fact, $14 billion is the income from the agricultural production in Syria.
Syria is more than self-sufficient in food.
The percentage of arable land is 32% of the total area of Syria.

Meanwhile, the percentage of cultivated land is 25% of the total area of Syria.
Key agricultural products include wheat, barley, cotton, olives (the 5th in the world), pistachios (the 4th in the world), and fruits, especially citrus and vegetables. In addition to various types of vegetables, fruits, and tobacco.
The previous conflict has severely disrupted agricultural production and trade.

livestock

The conflict has caused significant losses in animal populations and challenges in veterinary services within the livestock sector in Syria.
Organizations are actively working to rehabilitate this sector by restocking herds and improving animal health services to support rural livelihoods.
20 million heads of sheep and goats.
1.1 million cattle, 25 thousand camels, and 15 thousand horses.
In addition to chicken, eggs, fish and milk.

Role of Women

Syrian women have historically played significant roles in society, including in education, healthcare, and the workforce.
Participation in ministries: the first female minister in Syria was the Minister of Culture in 1976.
There are three female ministers in the Ministry of Finance, and more than 20 women hold director positions in government departments.
The first female pilot in the Republic was in the 1980s.
In fact, women entered the military in Syria in 1975, and the number of female soldiers reached 21,000. In addition to their participation in all sectors of work, there are some female volunteers in the police and army, and recently a women’s tourism company has appeared.
The percentage of the female workforce from the total workforce is 31%.

Equal opportunity and right to education for both males and females. More than 50% of graduates and students in Syrian universities and institutes are female, in addition to 30% of the teaching staff being female in 2010.

Tourism

Tourism in Syria has greatly reduced as a result of the previous conflict.
In 2010, 8.5 million tourists visited Syria, but by 2015, the number had declined by more than 98%, dropping to 170,000.
Many tourist attractions have been damaged or destroyed by shelling, all major airlines have suspended flights, and many major tourist hotels have closed.

If you search the statistics, you will find that reports indicate tourism improved in 2023 and that the number of visitors was high.

However, these numbers may mislead. They likely represent not only genuine foreign tourists but also a significant number of Syrian nationals who have acquired foreign citizenship. These individuals may have returned to Syria using their foreign passports, effectively circumventing any security checks.
In an attempt to project an image of normalcy and stability, the regime may have included these returning citizens in the tourism figures.

However, the future of Syrian tourism holds immense potential. The fall of the oppressive regime and the tireless efforts of the Syrian people pave the way for a brighter future as they work to restore and revitalize the country’s cultural and historical heritage.
By prioritizing safety, cleanliness, and a welcoming environment, Syria can once again become a top tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world and becoming a top tourist destination. This transformation is not only desirable but also achievable, and we can expect to witness a flourishing tourism sector in Syria as early as 2025 and beyond.

Health System

The previous conflicts and economic constraints have significantly challenged Syria’s healthcare system.
As of 2024, limited resources have rendered approximately 58% of hospitals non-functional. The country boasts a total of 482 hospitals with 30,206 beds, including 117 public hospitals that provide 21,849 beds.
Public hospitals make up over 65% of the total bed capacity. Displacement and hospital closures have affected the nursing sector, leaving an estimated 1,500 nurses unable to perform their duties.
Approximately 600 nurses continue to work, often undertaking extended shifts to meet healthcare demands.

Education

Education is free in all public schools and universities.
Also, education is compulsory for children aged 6 to 15, and it is called basic education.
School Infrastructure: the country boasts a network of over 20,000 schools, with a majority established after 1970.
Higher Education: Syria has a diverse higher education landscape, with 12 universities, including 6 public and 10 private institutions.
Years of conflict have severely impacted the education system in Syria, destroying infrastructure and the displacement of students and educators.

The previous conflict has driven many brilliant academic minds from the country.
These scholars, who were dedicated to educating the next generation, were forced to emigrate due to the perilous conditions.
This tragic displacement has resulted in a severe brain drain, depriving Syria of the intellectual capital crucial for its future.

As of 2024, authorities are actively working to rebuild schools and universities, but they face challenges in providing specific statistics on the number of operational institutions due to the dynamic situation.

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