Syria profile

Demography and Health

Syria’s population stood at about 24.7 million in 2024, placing it among the larger populations in the region (rank about 57). The country exhibits a relatively high crude birth rate of 22.1 births per 1,000 people (2023) alongside a crude death rate of 5.04 per 1,000 (2023), which together point to a still-young population dynamic despite ongoing pressures. Life expectancy at birth is 72.1 years (2023), and mortality among under-5s remains a persistent concern at 20.6 per 1,000 live births (2023), signaling gaps in child health and nutrition that can be exacerbated by conflict, displacement, and limited access to care. Net migration in 2024 is reported as 546,494, a large figure that highlights substantial cross-border movement—likely reflecting displacement, refugee flows, and returns—not merely natural population change; such flows complicate planning for health and social services, as population distribution can become highly erratic. Healthcare infrastructure shows strain: hospital beds are 1.43 per 1,000 people (2021), underscoring limited capacity to meet demand, especially in crisis-affected areas. Health spending remains modest by international standards, with current health expenditure at 4.15% of GDP in 2022 and domestic general government health expenditure per capita (PPP) at 154 international dollars (2022), indicating that public financing for health is constrained even as needs are high. Nutritional stress is severe, with 34% of the population undernourished (2022), reflecting food insecurity and its knock-on effects on health, development, and productivity. Public health indicators like suicide mortality (0.59 per 100,000, 2021) are low in absolute terms but must be interpreted in context of mental health access and reporting; overall, Syria’s health and demographic profile reveals a young, mobilized population facing substantial systemic constraints in health care capacity, nutrition, and long-run development funding.

Economy

Economically, Syria is characterized by a low nominal GDP per capita of about 847 US dollars in 2023 (rank about 187), while its GDP per capita in purchasing power parity terms is approximately 4,650 international dollars (2023, rank 164). This dual picture suggests a population with limited nominal income but some relative price-adjusted affluence when cost of living differences are accounted for, typical of economies with weak productivity and substantial informal activity. The economy is not highly export-oriented: exports of goods and services accounted for about 6.81% of GDP in 2022 (rank 178), and imports consumed about 28.8% of GDP in 2022 (rank 142). The relatively modest export performance combined with sizable import dependence indicates a vulnerability to external shocks, currency instability, and supply disruptions—factors that are often amplified in conflict-affected economies. Energy and policy environments compound these constraints: renewable energy makes up only 1.1% of total final energy consumption in 2021, signaling heavy reliance on conventional energy sources and imports, with potential exposure to price volatility. On the climate edge, total greenhouse gas emissions per capita are 1.75 t CO2e (2023, rank 157), reflecting limited industrial output but rising emissions intensity due to inefficiencies and rebuilding needs. The economy also grapples with structural constraints in productivity and innovation: research and development expenditure is 0.073% of GDP (2022), and patent applications by residents stand at 102 (2021, rank 63), illustrating a nascent but fragile base for innovation. Food security pressures—evidenced by 34% undernourishment (2022)—aggregate with weak health and education outcomes to constrain human capital formation and long-run growth prospects. Overall, Syria’s economy shows a fragile macro backdrop with low per-capita incomes, limited export capacity, import dependence, and structural gaps in energy, R&D, and nutrition that impede sustained development even as humanitarian needs remain acute.

Trade and Investment

Trade and investment conditions in Syria reflect structural fragility and limited integration into global markets. Exports of goods and services as a share of GDP stood at 6.81% in 2022, signaling a heavily constrained export base, while imports accounting for 28.8% of GDP (2022) indicate substantial reliance on external goods and services to meet domestic demand. The Logistics Performance Index score for Quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure is 2.2 out of 5 in 2022, ranked 24th among the comparable set, highlighting deficiencies in the trade and transport network that can raise costs, increase lead times, and reduce competitiveness. The combination of weak infrastructure, constrained fiscal capacity, and ongoing security concerns tends to deter large-scale investment and disrupt cross-border flows, reinforcing a cycle of import dependency and limited export diversification. In such a context, foreign direct investment faces higher risk premia and governance-related uncertainties (reflected in governance indicators discussed separately). Innovation activity exists at a modest level, with residents filing 102 patent applications in 2021 and R&D expenditure at about 0.073% of GDP in 2022, suggesting limited innovation ecosystems that can support higher-value trade and technology transfer. Taken together, Syria’s trade and investment profile depicts a country with significant logistical bottlenecks, modest export performance, and constrained capacity to attract or sustain large-scale investment beyond humanitarian and reconstruction channels.

Governance and Institutions

Governance in Syria is characterized by very weak institutional performance across multiple dimensions. Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism register a sharp negative value of −2.75 in 2023, with a relative rank of 199 (out of a large peer set), indicating extreme fragility and exposure to conflict dynamics. Regulatory quality stands at −1.81 (2023, rank 193), and the rule of law at −2.04 (2023, rank 199), signaling deep concerns about the predictability and fairness of regulatory frameworks, legal oversight, contract enforcement, and property rights. Control of corruption is −1.75 (2023, rank 197), and government effectiveness is −1.79 (2023, rank 193), both pointing to pervasive governance gaps that constrain policy implementation, service delivery, and investor confidence. Together, these indicators outline a governance landscape where political risk, weak rule of law, and corruption undermine state capacity and social contract, complicating stabilization, reconstruction, and long-run development. In such environments, long-run improvements typically hinge on stabilization, reforms to build trust in institutions, enhanced transparency and anti-corruption efforts, and credible mechanisms to enforce rules and protect citizens’ rights. On the science and innovation side, research and development expenditure sits at 0.073% of GDP (2022) and patent activity (102 residents in 2021) is modest, reflecting a nascent knowledge economy that is unlikely to compensate for broader governance deficiencies. The governance profile underscores the challenges of rebuilding institutions in tandem with humanitarian relief and economic reconstruction, requiring sustained, credible commitments to rule of law, regulatory quality, and anti-corruption.

Infrastructure and Technology

Infrastructure and technology in Syria are characterized by substantial deficits that constrain growth and humanitarian relief efforts. The healthcare and general infrastructure picture is consistent with the low logistics score discussed above: a Logistics Performance Index quality score of 2.2/5 (2022) indicates underdeveloped trade and transport infrastructure, raising costs and reducing efficiency for businesses and aid flows. Hospital capacity remains limited with 1.43 hospital beds per 1,000 people (2021), underscoring gaps in essential health infrastructure at a time when population needs are elevated by conflict and displacement. In energy, renewable energy shares are only 1.1% of total final energy consumption (2021), signaling heavy dependence on non-renewable sources and potential susceptibility to energy supply shocks and import reliance. The technology and innovation landscape shows limited funding for R&D—0.073% of GDP (2022)—and modest patent activity (102 resident patent applications in 2021), implying a nascent but fragile capacity for technological development and knowledge creation. Water and land resources—while not explicitly categorized here—intersect with this infrastructure picture, as high water stress and environmental pressures further strain infrastructure resilience, particularly in rural areas and humanitarian corridors. Overall, Syria’s infrastructure and technology profile points to critical gaps in transport, energy, health capacity, and innovation that impede efficient service delivery and long-run productivity, while opportunities may arise from targeted rebuilding programs that link reconstruction with capacity-building in logistics, utilities, and digital services.

Environment and Sustainability

Environmental sustainability in Syria faces acute stress, underpinned by severe water scarcity pressures, energy transitions, and climate-related vulnerability. The Level of water stress indicator—water withdrawal as a share of available freshwater resources—registers at an exceptionally high 124.0 (2021), signaling that existing water withdrawal exceeds sustainable replenishment in some basins and that water security is a fundamental constraint on agriculture, health, and livelihoods. Renewable energy remains a tiny share of final energy consumption (1.1% in 2021), highlighting a heavy reliance on fossil fuels or imported energy with implications for energy security and emissions trajectories. Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita are 1.75 t CO2e (2023), a modest absolute figure reflecting limited industrial activity but a potential implication of inefficiencies and rebuilding needs in post-conflict recovery. The prevalence of undernourishment affects about 34% of the population (2022), signalling widespread vulnerabilities that intersect with climate risk, agricultural productivity, and social protection systems. On the atmospheric side, notable health and development indicators—life expectancy of 72.1 years and under-5 mortality of 20.6 per 1,000—are influenced by the environment, water availability, and food security. Taken together, Syria’s environmental profile underscores a country at high risk from climate-related shocks, with critical water resource management challenges, limited renewable energy deployment, and health and nutrition vulnerabilities that require integrated adaptation and resilience strategies alongside humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.