Includes Syria real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Syria economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Syria best banks and safest banks are also available.
Basic Information
Government Type: Presidential republic; highly authoritarian regime
Capital City: Damascus
GDP & Economic Information
Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data
| Central Bank |
Central Bank of Syria |
|---|---|
| Currency |
Syrian pounds (SYP) |
| International Reserves | N/A |
| Gross Domestic Product – GDP |
USD 60.0 billion (2010, estimate) |
| GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) |
Intl$ 136.3 billion (2018, estimate) |
GDP Data
| Real GDP growth |
2007 5.7% 2008 4.5% 2009 5.9% 2010* 3.4% *Estimate |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita – current prices |
USD 2,806.7 (2018, estimate) |
| GDP per capita – PPP |
Intl$ 6,373.4 (2010, estimate) |
| GDP (PPP) – share of world total |
980 0.15% 1990 0.14% 2000 0.15% 2010 0.16% 2019 N/A |
| GDP – composition by sector |
agriculture: 20% industry: 19.5% services: 60.8% (2017 estimate) |
| Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) | N/A |
| Inflation |
2015 N/A 2016 N/A 2017 N/A 2018 N/A 2019 N/A |
Syria
Economics, Policy & Regulation
Arab League Hears Pitches For Multipolar Politics
Features
Rebuilding Syria
Features
New Realities, New TechnologiesInflation & Debt
| Inflation |
2015 N/A 2016 N/A 2017 N/A 2018 N/A 2019 N/A |
|---|---|
| Government Bond Ratings |
Standard & Poor’s: N/A Moody’s: N/A Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s |
| Unemployment rate | N/A |
| Household saving rates | N/A |
| Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) | N/A |
| Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) |
2015 -7.8% 2016 N/A 2017 N/A 2018 N/A 2019 N/A *Estimate |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | N/A |
| Largest Companies | N/A |
Import/Export
| Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) |
5.9% (2017) |
|---|---|
| Shares in world total merchandising export |
0.004% (2018) |
| Shares in world total commercial services export |
0.008% (2018) |
| Total exports |
USD 1.6 billion (2018 estimate) |
| Export commodities |
Opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems, and medical herbs |
| Total imports |
USD 8.3 billion (2018 estimate) |
| Import commodities |
Machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products |
| Exports – major partners |
India 56.5%, Pakistan 29.6% (2017) |
| Imports – major partners |
China 21%, Iran 20.5%, Pakistan 11.8%, Kazakhstan 11%, Uzbekistan 6.8%, Malaysia 5.3%(2017) |
Competitiveness & Trade
| Current account balance | N/A |
|---|---|
| Current account balance by percentage of GDP | N/A |
| FDI inflows | N/A |
| FDI Outflows | N/A |
| Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser |
N/A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 | N/A |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 | N/A |
| Best countries for doing business |
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Overall ranking: 176 out of 190 countries Subcategories: Starting a Business: 143 out of 190 countries Dealing with Construction Permits: 186 out of 190 countries Getting Electricity: 160 out of 190 countries Registering Property: 162 out of 190 countries Getting Credit: 176 out of 190 countries Protecting Minority Investors: 97 out of 190 countries Paying Taxes: 91 out of 190 countries Trading across Borders: 178 out of 190 countries Enforcing Contracts: 160 out of 190 countries Resolving Insolvency: 158 out of 190 countries |
| Global competitiveness ranking | N/A |
| Index of Economic Freedom | N/A |
Population & Geographic Data
| Total Area |
185,180 sq km |
|---|---|
| Total Population |
1990 12.72 million 2000 16.51 million 2010 21.39 million 2015 N/A 2020 N/A |
| Urban population as % of total population |
1960 36.8% 1980 46.7% 2000 51.9% 2018 54.2% |
| Population median age |
24.5 years |
| Population growth rate |
7.37% (2018 estimate) |
| Life expectancy |
75.2 years (2018 estimate) CIA World Factbook / Life expectancy |
| % of population living on less than $3.10 a day | N/A |
| Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) | N/A |
| Freedom House rating |
Not Free Political Rights: 7 Civil Liberties: 7 (2019) (1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating) |
| Total telephone subscribers as % of population |
Fixed: 16.2% Mobile: 98.4% (2018) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers) |
| Internet users as % of total population |
34.25 % (2017) |
Language & Religon
| Languages |
Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English |
|---|---|
| Literacy |
Total population: 86.4% Male: 91.7% Female: 81% Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) |
| Religions |
Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10% (includes Orthodox, Uniate, and Nestorian), Druze 3%, Jewish (few remaining in Damascus and Aleppo) – Note: the Christian population may be considerably smaller |
World Rankings
| Population | 2.8 M |
|---|---|
| Mercer Cost of living index | N/A |
| C02 Emissions per capita |
1.9 metric tons per capita (2018) |
Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Syria
Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.
Data Sources:
IMF World Economic Outlook
UN World Population Prospects
World Inequality Report
S&P Global Ratings
Moody’s
Fitch Ratings
IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
CIA The World Factbook
World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution
Forbes Global 2000