In 1800, the region of present-day Syria had a population of approximately 1.25 million people. Growth was relatively slow during the 19th century, and the population reached just over two million by the time of the First World War in 1914. However, population would begin to grow more rapidly following the beginning of French occupation in 1920, and by the time Syria achieved independence from France in 1946, the population would be just over 3.2 million. Following the country’s independence, Syria would begin experiencing exponential growth, the result of significant economic growth from the country’s growing petroleum exports.

However, the 21st century would see a sharp reversal of Syria’s exponential population growth, with the beginning of the Syrian Civil War after widespread anti-government protests in 2011. After peaking at 21.4 million people in 2010, Syria’s population would see a rapid decline during the civil war, as widespread conflict, massacres, and destruction would lead to significant fatalities and a mass exodus of refugees from the country, with several million migrating to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, and another several hundred thousand ultimately migrating to the European Union. As a result, the population of the country has declined greatly, falling from over 21 million in 2010 to just under 17 million by 2018. However, as the fighting has gradually decreased in intensity and refugee rates have levelled off, the population of Syria has slowly began to grow again. In 2020, Syria is estimated to have a population of 17.5 million people.

Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available. Syria data available from WorldPop here.

This statistic shows the total population of Syria from 2000 to 2010. In 2010, the total population of Syria was at approximately 21.4 million inhabitants. The Syrian refugee crisis The war in Syria has been escalating since 2011, which has made it difficult to estimate the current population of the country. The population of the country was last determined to be over 21 million in 2010. Previously, population growth rates had been relatively high, but since the war, Syria has been experiencing the opposite, and now claims the highest rate of population decline in the world. Large numbers of Syrians have been fleeing the county and others have lost their lives due to the conflict within the country’s borders. As of October 2015, the total number of casualties had risen to over 250,000 - including around 116,000 civilians and about 13,000 children. This has caused more than 4 million people to flee the country, making it the worst refugee crisis of our generation. Still, millions more have also been internally displaced and the sheer scale of the crisis is evident. Neighboring counties have received large numbers of Syrian refugees, but the crisis is now being felt across Europe as thousands of refugees are risking their lives everyday migrating to Europe in search of a brighter future. European cooperation is needed and not all countries are meeting Europe’s migrant quota.

Key information about Syria population

• The Syria population reached 27.6 million people in Dec 2022, compared with the previously reported figure of 26.9 million people in Dec 2021
• The data reached an all-time high of 27.6 million people in Dec 2022 and a record low of 3.5 million people in Dec 1950

CEIC extends history for annual Population. The Central Bureau of Statistics provides year-end Population. Population prior to 1970 is a Mid-year estimate sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau.


Further information about Syria population data

• In the latest reports, Syria Unemployment Rate increased to 23.7 % in Dec 2022
• Monthly earnings of the Syria population was 81.1 USD in Dec 2020
• Syria Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 37.9 % in Dec 2024

The total population in Syria was estimated at 24.7 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Syria Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This statistic shows the age structure in Syria from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, about 30.34 percent of Syria's total population were aged 0 to 14 years. The shrinking population of Syria In the past, Syria’s population has been one of the fastest growing populations around the world. While the fertility rate is much lower now than it has been, in 2013, World Bank figures show a fertility rate of 3 children per woman. This rate is still relatively high, but the country’s historically expanding population has left the country with a large cohort of young people: Almost 40 percent of the Syrian population is under 14 years of age, with close to 60 percent of the population aged 15 to 64. This leaves around a meager 4 percent of Syrians who are over 65 years old. At present, the median age of the population is estimated to be around 23 years, which means half the population is under 23, leaving large numbers of young people at the mercy of the war that has plagued the country. As of October 2015, 12,517 children were reportedly killed in the fighting, with the number of unreported cases being presumably much higher than this. This dire situation has caused many people to flee the country and it is no surprise that the majority of them are young. Despite a high fertility rate, this mass emigration has significantly stalled population growth in the country, a trend which is expected to continue especially as an overwhelming majority of Syrians – 46 percent - stated they would leave the country if given the opportunity.

UNICEF's country profile for Syrian Arab Republic, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

Syria SY: Population: Total data was reported at 18,269,868.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18,430,453.000 Person for 2016. Syria SY: Population: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 11,899,757.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21,018,834.000 Person in 2010 and a record low of 4,573,512.000 Person in 1960. Syria SY: Population: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Syrian Arab Republic – Table SY.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: disaggregating the population composition by gender will help a country in projecting its demand for social services on a gender basis.

Comprehensive demographic dataset for Syria, VA, US including population statistics, household income, housing units, education levels, employment data, and transportation with year-over-year changes.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for the Syrian Arab Republic (SPPOPGROWSYR) from 1961 to 2024 about Syria, population, and rate.

The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Syria was 2,806.69 U.S. dollars in 2010. Between 1980 and 2010, the GDP per capita rose by 1,384.85 U.S. dollars, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.This indicator describes the gross domestic product per capita at current prices. Thereby, the gross domestic product was first converted from national currency to U.S. dollars at current exchange rates and then divided by the total population. The gross domestic product is a measure of a country's productivity. It refers to the total value of goods and service produced during a given time period (here a year).

The annual population growth in Syria stood at 4.92 percent in 2023. Between 1961 and 2023, the population growth rose by 1.93 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

Syria SY: UCB Projection: Population: Mid Year data was reported at 31,225,740.000 Person in 2050. This records an increase from the previous number of 31,030,248.000 Person for 2049. Syria SY: UCB Projection: Population: Mid Year data is updated yearly, averaging 16,514,089.000 Person from Jun 1950 (Median) to 2050, with 101 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31,225,740.000 Person in 2050 and a record low of 3,495,000.000 Person in 1950. Syria SY: UCB Projection: Population: Mid Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Syrian Arab Republic – Table SY.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Syrian Arab Republic (POPTOTSYA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2024 about Syria and population.

The share of the global gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) in Syria stood at approximately 0.16 percent in 2010. Between 1980 and 2010, the share rose by around 0.02 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.This indicator describes the share of a country's gross domestic product in the global gross domestic product. To this end the GDP (indicating the total value of final goods and services produced during a year) has been adjusted for purchasing power parity and set in relation to the purchasing power adjusted global GDP value.

Population, female (% of total population) in Syria was reported at 49.98 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Syria - Population, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Actual value and historical data chart for Syria Population Density People Per Sq Km

Syria: Population ages 65 and above, percent of total: The latest value from 2024 is 4.74 percent, an increase from 4.69 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 10.43 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Syria from 1960 to 2024 is 3.57 percent. The minimum value, 2.81 percent, was reached in 1984 while the maximum of 5.04 percent was recorded in 1960.

Graph and download economic data for Employment to Population Ratio for the Syrian Arab Republic (SLEMPTOTLSPZSSYR) from 1991 to 2024 about Syria, employment-population ratio, population, and employment.

Yearly (annual) dataset of the Syria Population, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1960-12-31 to 2024-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.