Population and Demographics

Most Syrians are a Semitic Levantine people. While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history - they are in fact a blend of the various ancient Semitic groups indigenous to the region who in turn admixed with later arriving Arabs. There is also a smaller degree of admixture from non-Semitic peoples that have occupied the region over time.

Most people live in the capital Damascus, or the Euphrates River valley and along the coastal plain, a fertile strip between the coastal mountains and the desert. Overall population density is about 103 per sq km. Education is free and compulsory from ages 6 to 11. Schooling consists of 6 years of primary education followed by a 3-year general or vocational training period and a 3-year academic or vocational program. The second 3-year period of academic training is required for university admission. Total enrolment at post-secondary schools is over 150,000. The literacy rate of Syrians aged 15 and older is 86% for males and 73.6% for females.

Arabs (including some 400,000 Palestinian refugees) make up over 90.3% of the population. The Kurds, linguistically an Indo-Iranian people, constitute the largest ethnic minority, most of them residing in the northeast corner of Syria. Sizable Kurdish communities live in most major Syrian cities as well. The Assyrian Christians are also a notable minority (about 3%) that live in north and northeast Syria. Syria also holds the 7th largest Armenian population in the world.

Syria's population is 74% Sunni Muslim, and 16% other Muslim groups, including the Alawi, Shi'a, and Druze, and 10% Christian. There also is a very small (100) Syrian Jewish community.

Arabic is the official, and most widely spoken, language. Many educated Syrians also speak English or French, although English is more widely understood. Armenian and Turkish are spoken among the small Armenian and Turkoman populations respectively. Aramaic is still used by the Assyrian minority and in some villages of the Antilebanon.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 19,314,747
  Note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 36.5% (male 3,633,562/female 3,423,435)
  • 15-64 years: 60.1% (male 5,952,275/female 5,664,236)
  • 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 303,346/female 337,893)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 21.1 years
  • Male: 20.9 years
  • Female: 21.2 years
• Population Growth Rate: 2.244%
• Birth Rate: 27.19 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 4.74 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.061 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.051 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.898 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.049 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 27.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 27.44 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 70.61 years
  • Male: 69.27 years
  • Female: 72.02 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 3.31 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Ault prevalence rate: less than 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: less than 500
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Arab 90.3%
  • Kurds, Armenians and other 9.7%
• Religions:
  • Sunni Muslim 74%
  • Other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%
  • Christian (various denominations) 10%
  • Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
• Languages:
  • Arabic (official)
  • Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood
  • French, English somewhat understood
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 79.6%
  • Male: 86%
  • Female: 73.6%