ARCHIVE // SY // 2014
Syria
2014 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadcast media
[time series]
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)
Internet country code
[time series]
.sy
Internet users
(Internet hosts)
[time series]
416 (2012) country comparison to the world: 187
Internet users
[time series]
4.469 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 52
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
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 (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel (2011)
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
4.425 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 36
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
12.928 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 66
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $2.38 billion expenditures: $7.56 billion (2013 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-8% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Central bank discount rate
[time series]
0.75% (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 5% (31 December 2012 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
[time series]
10.5% (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 11.7% (31 December 2012 est.)
Current account balance
[time series]
-$5.879 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 -$6.706 billion (2012 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$9.796 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 100 $8.394 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
Despite modest economic growth and reform prior to the outbreak of unrest, Syria's economy continues to deteriorate amid the ongoing conflict that began in 2011. The economy further contracted in 2013 because of international sanctions, widespread infrastructure damage, reduced domestic consumption and production, and sharply rising 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. The ongoing conflict and economic decline have created a humanitarian crisis, prompting widespread need for international aid. Prior to the unrest, 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. The economy remains highly regulated by the government. 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, and water pollution.
Exchange rates
[time series]
Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 105.3 (2013 est.) 64.392 (2012 est.) 11.225 (2010 est.) 46.708 (2009) 46.5281 (2008)
Exports
[time series]
$2.675 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 $3.876 billion (2012 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Exports - partners
[time series]
Iraq 58.4%, Saudi Arabia 9.7%, Kuwait 6.4%, UAE 5.5%, Libya 4.1% (2012)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$64.7 billion (2011 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP (purchasing power parity))
[time series]
$107.6 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 73 $110.1 billion (2010 est.) $106.5 billion (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars the war driven deterioration of the economy resulted in a disappearance of quality national level statistics in 2012-13
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 68.3% government consumption: 19.7% investment in fixed capital: 20.1% investment in inventories: 9.3% exports of goods and services: 11.3% imports of goods and services: -28.6% (2013 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 17.6% industry: 22.2% services: 60.2% (2013 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita (PPP))
[time series]
$5,100 (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 159 $5,100 (2010 est.) $5,200 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
-2.3% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 213 3.4% (2010 est.)
Gross national saving
[time series]
5.4% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 12.8% of GDP (2012 est.) 15% of GDP (2011 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
[time series]
$8.917 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $10.78 billion (2012 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Imports - partners
[time series]
Saudi Arabia 22.8%, UAE 11.2%, Iran 8.3%, China 7.3%, Iraq 6.8% (2012)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
-20.6% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Industries
[time series]
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
59.1% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 223 36.9% (2012 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
5.014 million (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture: 17% industry: 16% services: 67% (2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
[time series]
$NA
Population below poverty line
[time series]
11.9% (2006 est.)
Public debt
[time series]
58.9% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 52.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$1.895 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 $4.793 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of broad money
[time series]
$12.77 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $27.11 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
[time series]
$7.777 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 102 $17.41 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of narrow money
[time series]
$8.097 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 $16.78 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
3.7% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 214
Unemployment rate
[time series]
17.8% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 18% (2012 est.)
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
(Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy)
[time series]
63.14 million Mt (2011 est.)
Crude oil - exports
[time series]
152,400 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Crude oil - imports
[time series]
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Crude oil - production
[time series]
182,500 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Crude oil - proved reserves
[time series]
2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
35.61 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Electricity - exports
[time series]
1.043 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Electricity - from fossil fuels
[time series]
89.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
[time series]
10.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
[time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Electricity - from other renewable sources
[time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Electricity - imports
[time series]
0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Electricity - installed generating capacity
[time series]
8.323 million kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Electricity - production
[time series]
43.76 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Natural gas - consumption
[time series]
9.63 billion cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - exports
[time series]
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Natural gas - imports
[time series]
250 million cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Natural gas - production
[time series]
7.87 billion cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Natural gas - proved reserves
[time series]
240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Refined petroleum products - consumption
[time series]
258,800 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Refined petroleum products - exports
[time series]
36,210 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
104,800 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
253,600 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 185,180 sq km country comparison to the world: 89 land: 183,630 sq km water: 1,550 sq km note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Climate
[time series]
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
Coastline
[time series]
193 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate potable water
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Total water withdrawal
(Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural))
[time series]
total: 16.76 cu km/yr (9%/4%/88%) per capita: 867.4 cu m/yr (2005)
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
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 41 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (2010 est.)
Irrigated land
[time series]
13,410 sq km (2010)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 2,253 km border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 24.9% permanent crops: 5.69% other: 69.41% (2011)
Location
[time series]
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references
[time series]
Middle East
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
Natural hazards
[time series]
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
Natural resources
[time series]
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Terrain
[time series]
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
16.8 cu km (2011)
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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
Capital
[time series]
name: Damascus geographic coordinates: 33 30 N, 36 18 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins midnight on the last Friday in March; ends at midnight on the first Friday in November
Constitution
[time series]
several previous; latest issued 15 February 2012, passed by referendum 26 February 2012 (2013)
Country name
[time series]
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 (with Egypt)
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Stephen FORD (since 7 January 2011); note - on 6 February 2012, the US closed its embassy in Damascus embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus telephone: [963] (11) 3391-4444 FAX: [963] (11) 3391-3999
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
embassy ceased operation since 18 March 2014 chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mounir KOUDMANI chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4585
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); 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 (since 9 August 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers Fahd Jasim al-FURAYJ, Lt. Gen. Walid al-MUALEM cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - new Council appointed on 14 April 2011 (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president approved by popular referendum (the 2012 constitution allows for two successive 7-year terms); referendum last held in 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 4.3%, Maher HAJJER 3.2%, other/invalid 3.8%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
Government type
[time series]
republic under an authoritarian regime
Independence
[time series]
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
International law organization participation
[time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
[time series]
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, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Court of Cassation (organized into civil, criminal, religious, and military divisions, each with 3 judges); 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
Legal system
[time series]
mixed legal system of civil and Islamic law (for family courts)
Legislative branch
[time series]
unicameral People's Assembly or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 7 May 2012 (next to be held in 2016) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "Humat ad-Diyar" (Guardians of the Homeland)
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
hawk
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
legal parties: National Progressive Front or NPF [President Bashar al-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD] Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr al-DIN] Syrian Arab Socialist Union or ASU [Safwan al-QUDSI] Syrian Communist Party (two branches) [Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL] Syrian Social Nationalist Party [As'ad HARDAN] Unionist Socialist Party [Fayez ISMAIL]) Kurdish parties (considered illegal): Kurdish Azadi Party Kurdish Democratic Accord Party (al Wifaq) Kurdish Democratic Party (al Parti-Ibrahim wing) Kurdish Democratic Party (al Parti-Mustafa wing) Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria or KDP-S Kurdish Democratic Patriotic/National Party Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party or KDPP-Darwish Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party or KDPP-Muhammad Kurdish Democratic Union Party or PYD [Salih Muslim MOHAMMAD] 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 other parties: Syrian Democratic Party [Mustafa QALAAJI]
Political parties
(Political pressure groups and leaders)
[time series]
Free Syrian Army Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Muhammad Riyad al-SHAQFAH] (operates in exile in London) Syrian Opposition Coalition or National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces [al-Asi- al-JARBAL] note: there are also hundreds of local groups that organize protests and stage armed attacks
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
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, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. 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 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. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. 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 unrest have spread to nearly every city in Syria, but the size and intensity of protests have fluctuated over time. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law and approving new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and force. However, the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD to step down, and the government's ongoing security operations to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity have led to extended violent 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 United States have expanded economic sanctions against the regime. Lakhdar BRAHIMI, current Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, in October 2012 began meeting with regional heads of state to assist in brokering a cease-fire. In December 2012, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Unrest persisted in 2013, and the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians has topped 100,000. In January 2014, the Syrian Opposition Coalition and Syrian regime began peace talks at the UN sponsored Geneva II conference.
Military
Manpower available for military service
[time series]
males age 16-49: 5,889,837 females age 16-49: 5,660,751 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
[time series]
males age 16-49: 5,055,510 females age 16-49: 4,884,151 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
[time series]
male: 256,698 female: 244,712 (2010 est.)
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
Syrian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (includes Air Defense Forces) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
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)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 33.1% (male 3,046,922/female 2,898,060) 15-24 years: 20.2% (male 1,833,802/female 1,789,854) 25-54 years: 37.9% (male 3,406,744/female 3,396,756) 55-64 years: 4.8% (male 429,644/female 440,980) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 320,946/female 387,931) (2014 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
22.76 births/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Child labor - children ages 5-14
[time series]
total number: 192,915 percentage: 4 % (2006 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
10.1% (2009) country comparison to the world: 70
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
58.3% (2006)
Death rate
[time series]
6.51 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 63.9 % youth dependency ratio: 57 % elderly dependency ratio: 6.9 % potential support ratio: 14.6 (2014 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 92.3% of population rural: 87.2% of population total: 90.1% of population unimproved: urban: 7.7% of population rural: 12.8% of population total: 9.9% of population (2012 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
5.1% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 70
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
fewer than 500 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Health expenditure
(Health expenditures)
[time series]
3.7% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 172
Hospital bed density
[time series]
1.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 15.79 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 103 male: 18.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
Languages
[time series]
Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian (widely understood); French, English (somewhat understood)
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 68.41 years country comparison to the world: 161 male: 61.4 years female: 75.84 years (2014 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.1% male: 90.3% female: 77.7% (2011 est.)
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
Aleppo 3.164 million; DAMASCUS (capital) 2.65 million; Hims 1.369 million; Hamah 933,000 (2011)
Maternal mortality ratio
(Maternal mortality rate)
[time series]
70 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 87
Median age
[time series]
total: 23.3 years male: 22.9 years female: 23.7 years (2014 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian
Net migration rate
[time series]
-113.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 222
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
27.1% (2008) country comparison to the world: 41
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
1.5 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
Population
[time series]
17,951,639 country comparison to the world: 61 note: approximately 18,900 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2012) (July 2014 est.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
-9.73% (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 233
Religions
[time series]
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)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 96.2% of population rural: 95.1% of population total: 95.7% of population unimproved: urban: 3.8% of population rural: 4.9% of population total: 4.3% of population (2012 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2011)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
2.68 children born/woman (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
(Unemployment, youth ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 19.2% country comparison to the world: 63 male: 15.3% female: 40.2% (2010)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 56.1% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: 2.36% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-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
Illicit drugs
[time series]
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 146,200 (Iraq) (2013); 517,255 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2014) note: the ongoing civil war had created more than 2.8 million Syrian refugees - dispersed in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey - as of February 2014 IDPs: 6.5 million (ongoing civil war since 2011) (2014) stateless persons: 221,000 (2012); 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
Trafficking in persons
[time series]
current situation: due to Syria's political uprising and violent unrest, hundreds of thousands of Syrians, foreign migrant workers, and refugees have fled the country and are vulnerable to human trafficking; the lack of security and inaccessibility of the majority of the country makes it impossible to conduct a thorough analysis of the ongoing conflict and the scope and magnitude of Syria's human trafficking situation; prior to the uprising, Syria was principally a destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor or sex trafficking; thousands of women - the majority from Indonesia, the Philippines, Somalia, and Ethiopia - were recruited to work as domestic servants but were subsequently subjected to forced labor; Filipina domestic workers continue to be sent to Syria and are vulnerable to forced labor; the Syrian armed forces and opposition forces are using Syrian children in combat and support roles and as human shields; Iraqi women and girls continue to be sexually exploited, and Syrian children still face conditions of forced labor tier rating: Tier 3 - the government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not demonstrate evidence of increasing efforts to investigate and punish trafficking offenses, provide protective services to victims, inform the public about human trafficking, or provide much-needed anti-trafficking training to law enforcement and social welfare officials; the government does not refer any victims to NGO-operated shelters and has failed to institute procedures for the identification, interview, and referral of trafficking victims; the status of the national plan of action against trafficking is unknown (2013)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
90 (2013) country comparison to the world: 62
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 29 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 61 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 48 (2013)
Heliports
[time series]
6 (2013)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 19 country comparison to the world: 95 by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 14, carrier 1 registered in other countries: 166 (Barbados 1, Belize 4, Bolivia 4, Cambodia 22, Comoros 5, Dominica 4, Georgia 24, Lebanon 2, Liberia 1, Malta 4, Moldova 5, North Korea 4, Panama 34, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9, Sierra Leone 13, Tanzania 23, Togo 6, unknown 1) (2010)
Pipelines
[time series]
gas 3,170 km; oil 2,029 km (2013)
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
major seaport(s): Baniyas, Latakia, Tartus
Railways
[time series]
total: 2,052 km country comparison to the world: 72 standard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
Roadways
[time series]
total: 69,873 km country comparison to the world: 67 paved: 63,060 km unpaved: 6,813 km (2010)
Waterways
[time series]
900 km (navigable but not economically significant) (2011) country comparison to the world: 69