SafekipediaDemographics of Syria
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
Syria is a country in the Middle East with a rich history and many different kinds of people.
Before the Syrian Civil War began in 2011, about 22 million people lived there. This included Syrians and people who had to leave their homes in nearby countries, like Iraqi refugees and Palestinian refugees.
Because of the war, it is hard to know exactly how many people live in Syria today. Many people moved to other countries or had to leave their homes inside Syria. As of July 2021, estimates suggest there are about 20.4 million people in Syria, but these numbers change often.
Most people in Syria today are Arabs, sharing a common language and culture. However, they are a mix of many different groups who have lived in the region for thousands of years. The Kurds are the second largest group, making up about 10% of the population, followed by the Turkmen. Syria's people show a long history of many different cultures living together.
Population
This data is from CIA World Factbook: In 2023, Syria’s population grew by 6.39%. This made Syria the country with the fastest growing population. The birth rate was about 22 births for every 1,000 people. The death rate was about 4 deaths for every 1,000 people. In 2020, boys were about 23 years old on average, girls were about 24, and the average age for everyone was 23.5 years. Many people are moving to Syria, with about 46 migrants for every 1,000 people.
In the year 1200, about 2.7 million people lived in the lands that are now Syria. A big sickness called the Plague epidemic in the 1300s killed many people. By 1937, the population was about 2.4 million.
Since 1960, Syria has counted its people in several years: 1960, 1970, 1981, 1994, and 2004.
In 2017, a leader said about 28 million people were in Syria, but many had left the country. By 2018, the number was about 19.5 million. After a long and hard time for Syria, the population grew again in 2023 to about 23 million.
Forced displacement
See also: Refugees of the Syrian Civil War and Internally displaced persons in Syria
More than six million people left Syria during a difficult time. Most went to nearby countries like Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, and some went to places like Greece, Germany and Sweden. Since 2017, some have returned.
The hard times caused many people to leave their homes inside Syria. Many thousands were stuck near the border with Jordan.
Some areas of Syria were not controlled by the government. In 2015, a group called ISIL controlled land where millions lived. Other areas had different leaders. During battles, many people had to leave their homes.
Displacement has changed where people live.
Age structure
Population centers
Main articles: List of cities in Syria and Cities and towns during the Syrian Civil War
Big cities in Syria include:
Aleppo 2,132,100
Damascus 1,711,000
Homs 652,609
Latakia 383,786
Hama 312,994
Raqqa 220,488
Deir ez-Zor 211,857
Al-Hasakah 188,160
Qamishli 184,231
Sayyidah Zaynab 136,427
Most people live in three areas: the Aleppo Governorate, the Euphrates valley, or along the coast. Syria has about 118 people for every square kilometre.
Urbanization
This data is from CIA World Factbook: In 2018, about 54% of people lived in towns and cities. The rate of moving to cities was about 1.43% each year from 2015 to 2020.
Major urban areas
This data is from CIA World Factbook: As of 2018, big urban areas include Damascus (the capital) with 2.32 million people, Aleppo with 1.754 million, Homs with 1.295 million, and Hama with 894,000 people.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2,110,000 | — |
| 200 | 2,860,000 | +0.15% |
| 500 | 2,430,000 | −0.05% |
| 900 | 2,200,000 | −0.02% |
| 1200 | 2,700,000 | +0.07% |
| 1500 | 1,070,000 | −0.31% |
| 1700 | 1,250,000 | +0.08% |
| 1850 | 1,480,000 | +0.11% |
| 1900 | 1,720,000 | +0.30% |
| 1937 | 2,368,000 | +0.87% |
| 1950 | 3,252,000 | +2.47% |
| 1960 | 4,565,000 | +3.45% |
| 1970 | 6,305,000 | +3.28% |
| 1980 | 8,704,000 | +3.28% |
| 1990 | 12,116,000 | +3.36% |
| 1995 | 14,186,000 | +3.20% |
| 2004 | 17,921,000 | +2.63% |
| 2011 | 21,124,000 | +2.38% |
| 2016 | 17,185,000 | −4.04% |
| 2023 | 23,022,427 | +4.27% |
| Source: 2016 estimate 2023 estimate | ||
| Population pyramid | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | ||
| 15–24 | ||
| 25–54 | ||
| 55–64 | ||
| 65+ |
| Population pyramid | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | ||
| 15–64 | ||
| 65+ |
| (2011-07-01) (Estimates, including Palestinian refugees) | ||||
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 10 794 000 | 10 330 000 | 21 124 000 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 1 428 000 | 1 347 000 | 2 775 000 | 13.14 |
| 5–9 | 1 384 000 | 1 270 000 | 2 654 000 | 12.56 |
| 10–14 | 1 232 000 | 1 198 000 | 2 430 000 | 11.50 |
| 15–19 | 1 191 000 | 1 088 000 | 2 279 000 | 10.79 |
| 20–24 | 1 035 000 | 944 000 | 1 979 000 | 9.37 |
| 25–29 | 864 000 | 873 000 | 1 737 000 | 8.22 |
| 30–34 | 674 000 | 697 000 | 1 371 000 | 6.49 |
| 35–39 | 601 000 | 628 000 | 1 229 000 | 5.82 |
| 40–44 | 545 000 | 551 000 | 1 096 000 | 5.19 |
| 45–49 | 437 000 | 433 000 | 870 000 | 4.12 |
| 50–54 | 387 000 | 405 000 | 792 000 | 3.75 |
| 55–59 | 293 000 | 280 000 | 573 000 | 2.71 |
| 60–64 | 254 000 | 227 000 | 481 000 | 2.28 |
| 65+ | 469 000 | 389 000 | 858 000 | 4.06 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 4 044 000 | 3 815 000 | 7 859 000 | 37.20 |
| 15–64 | 6 281 000 | 6 126 000 | 12 407 000 | 58.73 |
| 65+ | 469 000 | 389 000 | 858 000 | 4.06 |
Vital statistics
United Nations estimates
Some important events changed Syria's population, including the Syrian civil war from 2011 to 2024.
The United Nations has made guesses about Syria's population over time. These guesses show how the number of people changed each year.
This data also includes information about how many babies were born and how many people passed away each year, as well as how many people moved into or out of the country.
Life expectancy at birth, according to data from the CIA World Factbook, was about 75 years for everyone, 73 years for males, and 78 years for females in 2018.
| Period | Population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Birth rate (per 1000) | Death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Crude migration rate (per 1000) | Total Fertility rate | Infant mortality (1000 births) | Life expectancy (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3 544 000 | 167 000 | 92 000 | 75 000 | 47.0 | 25.9 | 21.1 | 7.60 | 179.6 | 44.14 | |
| 1951 | 3 621 000 | 171 000 | 92 000 | 80 000 | 47.3 | 25.4 | 22.0 | -0.7 | 7.60 | 177.5 | 44.45 |
| 1952 | 3 703 000 | 176 000 | 91 000 | 85 000 | 47.6 | 24.7 | 23.0 | -0.9 | 7.61 | 173.3 | 44.99 |
| 1953 | 3 791 000 | 182 000 | 90 000 | 91 000 | 47.9 | 23.9 | 24.0 | -0.8 | 7.61 | 169.1 | 45.70 |
| 1954 | 3 886 000 | 187 000 | 88 000 | 99 000 | 48.0 | 22.6 | 25.5 | -1.1 | 7.62 | 160.2 | 46.97 |
| 1955 | 3 989 000 | 192 000 | 85 000 | 107 000 | 48.2 | 21.3 | 26.8 | -1.0 | 7.62 | 151.7 | 48.31 |
| 1956 | 4 099 000 | 197 000 | 83 000 | 114 000 | 48.0 | 20.3 | 27.7 | -0.9 | 7.59 | 143.9 | 49.39 |
| 1957 | 4 217 000 | 202 000 | 81 000 | 121 000 | 47.8 | 19.1 | 28.7 | -0,7 | 7.57 | 136.6 | 50.58 |
| 1958 | 4 341 000 | 207 000 | 79 000 | 128 000 | 47.6 | 18.2 | 29.4 | -0.8 | 7.54 | 129.9 | 51.57 |
| 1959 | 4 473 000 | 212 000 | 77 000 | 135 000 | 47.3 | 17.2 | 30.1 | -0.6 | 7.51 | 123.7 | 52.61 |
| 1960 | 4 611 000 | 217 000 | 75 000 | 142 000 | 47.0 | 16.3 | 30.7 | -0.8 | 7.49 | 118.0 | 53.55 |
| 1961 | 4 752 000 | 221 000 | 74 000 | 147 000 | 46.5 | 15.5 | 31.0 | -1.3 | 7.43 | 113.0 | 54.44 |
| 1962 | 4 895 000 | 227 000 | 73 000 | 154 000 | 46.4 | 14.8 | 31.5 | -2.3 | 7.44 | 108.4 | 55.09 |
| 1963 | 5 045 000 | 233 000 | 72 000 | 162 000 | 46.2 | 14.2 | 32.0 | -2.3 | 7.44 | 104.2 | 55.78 |
| 1964 | 5 203 000 | 241 000 | 71 000 | 170 000 | 46.2 | 13.6 | 32.6 | -2.2 | 7.47 | 100.3 | 56.50 |
| 1965 | 5 368 000 | 249 000 | 70 000 | 179 000 | 46.3 | 13.1 | 33.3 | -2.6 | 7.51 | 96.5 | 57.11 |
| 1966 | 5 542 000 | 258 000 | 70 000 | 188 000 | 46.5 | 12.6 | 33.8 | -2.4 | 7.55 | 92.7 | 57.60 |
| 1967 | 5 723 000 | 267 000 | 70 000 | 197 000 | 46.6 | 12.2 | 34.4 | -2.8 | 7.58 | 88.9 | 58.10 |
| 1968 | 5 913 000 | 276 000 | 68 000 | 208 000 | 46.6 | 11.5 | 35.1 | -3.0 | 7.60 | 85.0 | 59.07 |
| 1969 | 6 111 000 | 288 000 | 67 000 | 220 000 | 47.0 | 11.0 | 36.0 | -3.6 | 7.67 | 81.1 | 59.88 |
| 1970 | 6 319 000 | 298 000 | 67 000 | 231 000 | 47.1 | 10.5 | 36.5 | -3.6 | 7.69 | 77.2 | 60.53 |
| 1971 | 6 539 000 | 305 000 | 65 000 | 240 000 | 46.7 | 10.0 | 36.7 | -3.1 | 7.65 | 73.5 | 61.37 |
| 1972 | 6 769 000 | 314 000 | 65 000 | 249 000 | 46.3 | 9.6 | 36.7 | -2.7 | 7.61 | 70.1 | 61.90 |
| 1973 | 7 003 000 | 322 000 | 69 000 | 253 000 | 45.9 | 9.8 | 36.1 | -2.7 | 7.56 | 66.9 | 60.69 |
| 1974 | 7 245 000 | 331 000 | 63 000 | 267 000 | 45.6 | 8.7 | 36.9 | -3.5 | 7.51 | 63.8 | 63.12 |
| 1975 | 7 497 000 | 341 000 | 63 000 | 278 000 | 45.4 | 8.4 | 37.0 | -3.4 | 7.47 | 60.9 | 63.54 |
| 1976 | 7 759 000 | 352 000 | 63 000 | 289 000 | 45.3 | 8.1 | 37.2 | -3.4 | 7.44 | 58.0 | 63.92 |
| 1977 | 8 029 000 | 364 000 | 65 000 | 299 000 | 45.2 | 8.1 | 37.2 | -3.6 | 7.41 | 55.2 | 63.76 |
| 1978 | 8 310 000 | 373 000 | 60 000 | 314 000 | 44.8 | 7.2 | 37.7 | -3.9 | 7.35 | 52.4 | 65.81 |
| 1979 | 8 601 000 | 382 000 | 60 000 | 322 000 | 44.3 | 6.9 | 37.4 | -3.6 | 7.27 | 49.7 | 66.14 |
| 1980 | 8 899 000 | 390 000 | 60 000 | 330 000 | 43.8 | 6.7 | 37.1 | -3.6 | 7.16 | 47.2 | 66.35 |
| 1981 | 9 204 000 | 396 000 | 68 000 | 328 000 | 43.0 | 7.4 | 35.6 | -2.5 | 7.01 | 47.0 | 64.37 |
| 1982 | 9 511 000 | 404 000 | 83 000 | 321 000 | 42.4 | 8.7 | 33.7 | -1.4 | 6.88 | 48.6 | 61.12 |
| 1983 | 9 835 000 | 413 000 | 58 000 | 355 000 | 41.9 | 5.9 | 36.0 | -3.1 | 6.74 | 40.3 | 67.83 |
| 1984 | 10 183 000 | 422 000 | 55 000 | 366 000 | 41.4 | 5.4 | 35.9 | -1.7 | 6.61 | 38.3 | 68.92 |
| 1985 | 10 541 000 | 432 000 | 57 000 | 375 000 | 41.0 | 5.4 | 35.5 | -1.5 | 6.48 | 36.6 | 68.76 |
| 1986 | 10 908 000 | 441 000 | 57 000 | 384 000 | 40.4 | 5.2 | 35.2 | -1.6 | 6.33 | 35.0 | 69.21 |
| 1987 | 11 281 000 | 447 000 | 58 000 | 389 000 | 39.6 | 5.1 | 34.5 | -1.4 | 6.13 | 33.5 | 69.30 |
| 1988 | 11 658 000 | 448 000 | 58 000 | 390 000 | 38.4 | 4.9 | 33.4 | -1.1 | 5.89 | 32.3 | 69.67 |
| 1989 | 12 034 000 | 446 000 | 58 000 | 388 000 | 37.1 | 4.9 | 32.2 | -1.0 | 5.63 | 31.1 | 69.76 |
| 1990 | 12 409 000 | 446 000 | 59 000 | 387 000 | 35.9 | 4.8 | 31.1 | -0.9 | 5.38 | 29.9 | 69.82 |
| 1991 | 12 782 000 | 444 000 | 60 000 | 384 000 | 34.7 | 4.7 | 30.0 | -0.8 | 5.12 | 28.8 | 70.04 |
| 1992 | 13 156 000 | 448 000 | 60 000 | 387 000 | 34.0 | 4.6 | 29.4 | -1.0 | 4.95 | 27.7 | 70.26 |
| 1993 | 13 537 000 | 459 000 | 62 000 | 397 000 | 33.9 | 4.6 | 29.3 | -1.2 | 4.83 | 26.5 | 70.19 |
| 1994 | 13 923 000 | 468 000 | 64 000 | 404 000 | 33.6 | 4.6 | 29.0 | -1.3 | 4.72 | 25.4 | 70.14 |
| 1995 | 14 313 000 | 474 000 | 64 000 | 409 000 | 33.1 | 4.5 | 28.6 | -1.4 | 4.57 | 24.2 | 70.42 |
| 1996 | 14 709 000 | 478 000 | 67 000 | 411 000 | 32.5 | 4.5 | 28.0 | -1.1 | 4.43 | 23.1 | 70.35 |
| 1997 | 15 104 000 | 481 000 | 69 000 | 412 000 | 31.8 | 4.5 | 27.3 | -1.1 | 4.28 | 22.0 | 70.28 |
| 1998 | 15 501 000 | 487 000 | 71 000 | 416 000 | 31.4 | 4.6 | 26.8 | -1.2 | 4.18 | 21.0 | 70.20 |
| 1999 | 15 901 000 | 493 000 | 72 000 | 421 000 | 31.0 | 4.5 | 26.5 | -1.3 | 4.08 | 20.1 | 70.43 |
| 2000 | 16 308 000 | 500 000 | 72 000 | 428 000 | 30.6 | 4.4 | 26.2 | -1.2 | 4.00 | 19.3 | 70.76 |
| 2001 | 16 728 000 | 519 000 | 70 000 | 449 000 | 31.0 | 4.2 | 26.8 | -1.7 | 4.01 | 18.6 | 71.64 |
| 2002 | 17 164 000 | 529 000 | 70 000 | 459 000 | 30.8 | 4.1 | 26.7 | -1.3 | 3.95 | 18.0 | 71.94 |
| 2003 | 17 611 000 | 541 000 | 70 000 | 471 000 | 30.7 | 4.0 | 26.7 | -1.3 | 3.90 | 17.4 | 72.41 |
| 2004 | 18 084 000 | 553 000 | 72 000 | 481 000 | 30.6 | 4.0 | 26.6 | -0.4 | 3.86 | 17.0 | 72.48 |
| 2005 | 18 584 000 | 567 000 | 73 000 | 494 000 | 30.5 | 3.9 | 26.6 | 0.3 | 3.81 | 16.6 | 72.77 |
| 2006 | 19 432 000 | 579 000 | 72 000 | 507 000 | 30.3 | 3.8 | 26.5 | 17.1 | 3.76 | 16.3 | 73.35 |
| 2007 | 20 703 000 | 625 000 | 75 000 | 551 000 | 30.8 | 3.7 | 27.1 | 34.3 | 3.70 | 16.1 | 73.71 |
| 2008 | 21 474 000 | 673 000 | 81 000 | 592 000 | 31.0 | 3.7 | 27.3 | 8.6 | 3.61 | 16.0 | 73.55 |
| 2009 | 21 827 000 | 650 000 | 80 000 | 569 000 | 29.7 | 3.7 | 26.1 | -9.9 | 3.51 | 15.9 | 73.85 |
| 2010 | 22 338 000 | 641 000 | 83 000 | 558 000 | 28.7 | 3.7 | 25.0 | -2.1 | 3.40 | 15.9 | 73.88 |
| 2011 | 22 731 000 | 629 000 | 90 000 | 539 000 | 27.5 | 3.9 | 23.6 | -2.1 | 3.28 | 16.4 | 73.31 |
| 2012 | 22 606 000 | 615 000 | 148 000 | 467 000 | 26.6 | 6.4 | 20.2 | -6.3 | 3.22 | 23.0 | 66.77 |
| 2013 | 21 496 000 | 568 000 | 173 000 | 394 000 | 25.2 | 7.7 | 17.5 | -25.7 | 3.16 | 26.3 | 63.83 |
| 2014 | 20 072 000 | 465 000 | 168 000 | 297 000 | 22.4 | 8.1 | 14.3 | -69.1 | 3.12 | 27.1 | 63.15 |
| 2015 | 19 205 000 | 397 000 | 143 000 | 254 000 | 20.2 | 7.3 | 12.9 | -85.2 | 3.07 | 25.1 | 65.12 |
| 2016 | 18 964 000 | 359 000 | 133 000 | 226 000 | 18.9 | 7.0 | 11.9 | -24.6 | 3.01 | 24.5 | 65.99 |
| 2017 | 18 983 000 | 355 000 | 115 000 | 240 000 | 18.6 | 6.0 | 12.5 | -11.5 | 2.97 | 18.5 | 68.48 |
| 2018 | 19 333 000 | 346 000 | 106 000 | 240 000 | 18.2 | 5.6 | 12.6 | 5.5 | 2.93 | 18.6 | 70.15 |
| 2019 | 20 098 000 | 375 000 | 100 000 | 275 000 | 18.9 | 5.0 | 13.9 | 24.2 | 2.88 | 18.1 | 71.82 |
| 2020 | 20 773 000 | 406 000 | 103 000 | 303 000 | 19.7 | 5.0 | 14.7 | 17.8 | 2.84 | 18.1 | 72.14 |
| 2021 | 21 324 000 | 427 000 | 109 000 | 318 000 | 21.2 | 5.1 | 15.0 | 10.8 | 2.80 | 17.8 | 72.06 |
| 2022 | 21.2 | 2.75 | |||||||||
| 2023 | 22.1 | 2.71 | |||||||||
| 2024 | 23.2 | 2.70 | |||||||||
| 2025 | 23.5 | 2.66 |
| Name | TFR (2009) |
|---|---|
| Aleppo | 3.2 |
| Damascus | 2.6 |
| Daraa | 5.2 |
| Deir ez-Zor | 6.9 |
| Hama | 3.3 |
| Al-Hasakah | 3.5 |
| Homs | 3.1 |
| Idlib | 4.8 |
| Latakia | 2.2 |
| Quneitra | 3.8 |
| Raqqa | 5 |
| Rif Dimashq | 3.3 |
| Al-Suwayda | 2.1 |
| Tartus | 2.3 |
| Syria | 3.5 |
| Name | MFR (2009) |
|---|---|
| Aleppo | 5.4 |
| Damascus | 4.7 |
| Daraa | 7.3 |
| Deir ez-Zor | 10.2 |
| Hama | 6.6 |
| Al-Hasakah | 6.8 |
| Homs | 5.9 |
| Idlib | 7.7 |
| Latakia | 4.5 |
| Quneitra | 6.5 |
| Raqqa | 7.9 |
| Rif Dimashq | 5.4 |
| Al-Suwayda | 4 |
| Tartus | 4.8 |
| Syria | 6 |
Ethnicity and religion
See also: Nawar people and Religion in Syria
On January 1, 2011, Syria had about 24 million people. Arabs made up most of the people, about 80-85%. The rest were different ethnic and religious groups.
The CIA World Factbook said in July 2018 that the groups were about: Arab 50%, Alawite 15%, Kurd 10%, Levantine 10%, and other groups 15% (including Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrians, Turkmen, Armenian, and Chechens).
Religion in Syria (estimated 2021)
- Sunni Islam (74.0%)
- Shia (Alawites, Ismailis, Twelvers) (13.0%)
- Christianity (10.0%)
- Druze (3.00%)
There have been no official counts about religion since 1960, so these are the latest numbers we have:
In 1991, two professors said about 85% of Syrians were Muslims and the rest were almost all Christians.
The CIA World Factbook gives these religion numbers: Muslim 87% (includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10% (mainly Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic), Druze 3%.
The first count focusing on religious groups was done in 1932 under French rule.
| Ethnic and religious groups | % of Syrian population |
|---|---|
| Syrian Arabs | 80–85% |
| Kurds | 10% |
| Turkmen/Turkoman | 4–5% |
| Assyrians/Syriacs | 3–4% |
| Circassians | 1.5% |
| Armenians | 1% |
| Smaller groups of Albanians, Greeks and Chechens, among others | |
| 1943 census | 1953 census | Growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Muslims | 2,427,605 (84.87%) | 3,145,287 (86.03%) | 30% |
| Individual sects and religions | |||
| Sunnis | 1,971,053 (68.91%) | 2,578,810 (70.54%) | 31% |
| Christians | 403,036 (14.09%) | 478,970 (13.10%) | 19% |
| Alawites | 325,311 (11.37%) | 398,445 (10.90%) | 22% |
| Druze | 87,184 (3.05%) | 113,318 (3.10%) | 30% |
| Ismailis | 28,527 (1.00%) | 36,745 (1.01%) | 29% |
| Jews | 29,770 (1.04%) | 31,647 (0.87%) | 6% |
| Shi'ites | 12,742 (0.45%) | 14,887 (0.41%) | 17% |
| Yezidi | 2,788 (0.10%) | 3,082 (0.08%) | 11% |
Languages
Main article: Languages of Syria
Arabic is the main language spoken in Syria, and most people use it. Many types of Arabic are spoken, especially in the west and northeast. Besides Arabic, other languages such as Kurdish, Turkish, Neo-Aramaic, Circassian, Chechen, Armenian, and Greek are also spoken. These languages do not have official status. Some educated people in Syria can also speak English and French.
Images
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