Syria's estimated pre–Syrian Civil War 2011 population was 22 ±.5[1] million permanent inhabitants, which included 21,124,000 Syrians,[2] as well as 1.3 million Iraqi refugees[3] and over 500,000 Palestinian refugees.[3] The war makes an accurate count of the Syrian population difficult, as the numbers of Syrian refugees,[4] internally displaced Syrians and casualty numbers are in flux. The CIA World Factbook showed an estimated 20.4m people as of July 2021.[5] Of the pre-war population, six million are refugees outside the country, seven million are internally displaced, three million live in rebel-held territory, and two million live in the Kurdish-ruled Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
| Demographics of Syria | |
|---|---|
 Syria population pyramid in 2020 | |
| Population | 20,384,316 (CIA World Factbook July 2021 est.) |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian |
| Language | |
| Official | Arabic |
| Spoken | Kurdish, Turkish, Neo-Aramaic (Turoyo, Western Neo-Aramaic, Suret (Assyrian and Chaldean) |
Most modern-day Syrians are described as Levantine Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history. Genetically, Syrian Arabs are a variety of diverse Semitic-speaking groups indigenous to the region.[6][7][8][9] With around 10% of the population, Kurds are the second biggest ethnic group in Syria, followed by Turkmen.
Human toll of Syrian Civil War
| Pre-war population 22 ±.5; Internally displaced 6 ±.5, Refugees 5.5 ±.5, Fatalities 0.5 ±.1 (millions)[citation needed] | |
| Syrian refugees | |
| By country | Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey |
| Settlements | Camps: Jordan |
| Internally displaced Syrians | |
| Casualties of the war | |
| Crimes | Human rights violations, massacres, rape |
| Return of refugees, Refugees as weapons, Prosecution of war criminals | |
Forced displacement
More than six million refugees left the country during the civil war,[10] of whom over five million are registered as refugees by the UNHCR as of mid-2019.[11] Most of them fled to neighboring countries such as Turkey,[12][13] Lebanon, Jordan,[14] and Iraq,[15] as well as European nations like Greece, Germany and Sweden. Since 2017, tens of thousands have returned.[16]
The war resulted in large-scale displacement in the country. The UNHCR estimates internally displaced people (IDPs) at seven million. A further 70,000 people were trapped on the border with Jordan at Rukban in 2016–18,[17][18] with up to 40,000 still there in 2019.[19]
A significant part of the population lives in territory outside government sovereignty. At its peak in 2015, ISIL ruled over ten million people across Syria and Iraq.[20] The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES), commonly referred to as Rojava, has a population of around two million.[21] Areas controlled by the opposition have had a population in the millions. In mid-2017, UN OCHA estimated that around 540,000 persons were trapped in besieged areas as of June 2017, the majority besieged by government forces in Eastern Ghouta.[22] By the time the government retook Ghouta in April 2018, some 140,000 individuals had fled their homes and up to 50,000 were evacuated to Idlib and Aleppo governorates.[23] The latter rebel areas had an estimated population of 3 million (40% of them displaced from defeated rebel areas).[24][25] Fighting in Idlib has led to further displacements, of up to 250,000 people, and generating new refugee outflows to neighbouring Turkey.[26]
Displacement has led to demographic shifts. One example is the area in the North under control by Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Many human rights groups, including Amnesty International[27] and international organizations[28][29] have accused SDF forces of committing ethnic cleansing in Arab areas they were capturing from other war factions.[30] The accusation was repeated on 8 May 2019 by Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.[31] NGOs and the opposition have also accused the government of using the conflict to affect demographic restructuring.[32][33][34][35]
Birth-death rate
In April 2016, the UN estimated that 400,000 people had died in the war,[36] and casualties have continued since, with estimates for the total dead by mid-2019 of up to 220,000 civilians, 175,000 government combatants, and 174,000 anti-government combatants (see Casualties of the Syrian Civil War).
Population
Historical population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 BC | 2,110,000 | — |
| 200 | 2,860,000 | +35.5% |
| 500 | 2,430,000 | −15.0% |
| 900 | 2,200,000 | −9.5% |
| 1200 | 2,700,000 | +22.7% |
| 1500 | 1,070,000 | −60.4% |
| 1700 | 1,250,000 | +16.8% |
| 1850 | 1,480,000 | +18.4% |
| 1900 | 1,720,000 | +16.2% |
| 1937 | 2,368,000 | +37.7% |
| 1950 | 3,252,000 | +37.3% |
| 1960 | 4,565,000 | +40.4% |
| 1970 | 6,305,000 | +38.1% |
| 1980 | 8,704,000 | +38.0% |
| 1990 | 12,116,000 | +39.2% |
| 1995 | 14,186,000 | +17.1% |
| 2004 | 17,921,000 | +26.3% |
| 2011 | 21,124,000 | +17.9% |
| 2016 | 17,185,000 | −18.6% |
| 2017 | 18,029,549 | +4.9% |
| 2023 | 23,022,427 | +27.7% |
| Source:[37][38][39] 2016 estimate[40] 2023 estimate[41] | ||
In 1200, the territories of modern-day Syria had an estimated population of 2.7 million.[37] This number sharply decreased due to the Plague epidemic in 1348–1353, which killed off an estimated third of the Levant's population. By 1937, the population reached an estimated 2,368,000, still considerably lower than 1200's estimated population.
Modern population
Since 1960, censuses have been conducted in 1960, 1970, 1981, 1994 and 2004.[42]In 2014, 17,951,639, a massive decline due to nearly 4 million Syrian refugees leaving the country because of the Syrian Civil War and furthermore because of the death in the war. This is a drop of 9.7% from the previous year.[43]
In 2017, the head of the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs, Mohammad Akram al-Qash, said that the Syrian population was 28 million, of which, 21 million were living in Syria and that 7 million were refugees.[44] In 2018, the population was estimated to be 19,454,263 people.[45] Ever since the Syrian Civil War, the population has been steadily declining, however rebounded in 2023, with an estimated population of 23,022,427 people.
Age structure
| Population pyramid | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 3,132,619 | 2,974,394 |
| 15–24 | 1,933,185 | 1,863,991 |
| 25–54 | 3,807,664 | 3,829,150 |
| 55–64 | 531,455 | 542,738 |
| 65+ | 379,360 | 379,360 |
| Population pyramid | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 4,044,000 | 6,281,000 |
| 15–64 | 6,281,000 | 6,126,000 |
| 65+ | 469,000 | 389,000 |
| (2011-07-01) (Estimates, including Palestinian refugees)[46] | ||||
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 10 794 000 | 10 330 000 | 21 124 000 | 100 |
| 0-4 | 1 428 000 | 1 347 000 | 2 775 000 | 13.14 |
| 5-9 | 1 384 000 | 1 270 000 | 2 654 000 | 12.56 |
| 10-14 | 1 232 000 | 1 198 000 | 2 430 000 | 11.50 |
| 15-19 | 1 191 000 | 1 088 000 | 2 279 000 | 10.79 |
| 20-24 | 1 035 000 | 944 000 | 1 979 000 | 9.37 |
| 25-29 | 864 000 | 873 000 | 1 737 000 | 8.22 |
| 30-34 | 674 000 | 697 000 | 1 371 000 | 6.49 |
| 35-39 | 601 000 | 628 000 | 1 229 000 | 5.82 |
| 40-44 | 545 000 | 551 000 | 1 096 000 | 5.19 |
| 45-49 | 437 000 | 433 000 | 870 000 | 4.12 |
| 50-54 | 387 000 | 405 000 | 792 000 | 3.75 |
| 55-59 | 293 000 | 280 000 | 573 000 | 2.71 |
| 60-64 | 254 000 | 227 000 | 481 000 | 2.28 |
| 65+ | 469 000 | 389 000 | 858 000 | 4.06 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 4 044 000 | 3 815 000 | 7 859 000 | 37.20 |
| 15–64 | 6 281 000 | 6 126 000 | 12 407 000 | 58.73 |
| 65+ | 469 000 | 389 000 | 858 000 | 4.06 |
Population
This data is from CIA World Factbook:[45] In 2023, the Syrian population increased by 6.39%. This made Syria the country with the highest population growth. The birth rate was estimated at 22.19 births per 1000 people. The death rate is 4.07 deaths for 1000 people. The median age (estimated in 2020) for males is 23 years old, while for females it is 24 years old. Overall, the Syrian median age is 23.5 years old. The migration rate is 45.78 migrants for 1,000 people. The gender ratio is as follows:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0–14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Demographic statistics
UN estimates:[47]
| Period | Population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Birth rate (per 1000) | Death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total Fertility rate | Infant mortality (1000 births) | Life expectancy (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3 544 000 | 167 000 | 92 000 | 75 000 | 47.0 | 25.9 | 21.1 | 7.60 | 179.6 | 44.14 |
| 1951 | 3 621 000 | 171 000 | 92 000 | 80 000 | 47.3 | 25.4 | 22.0 | 7.60 | 177.5 | 44.45 |
| 1952 | 3 703 000 | 176 000 | 91 000 | 85 000 | 47.6 | 24.7 | 23.0 | 7.61 | 173.3 | 44.99 |
| 1953 | 3 791 000 | 182 000 | 90 000 | 91 000 | 47.9 | 23.9 | 24.0 | 7.61 | 169.1 | 45.70 |
| 1954 | 3 886 000 | 187 000 | 88 000 | 99 000 | 48.0 | 22.6 | 25.5 | 7.62 | 160.2 | 46.97 |
| 1955 | 3 989 000 | 192 000 | 85 000 | 107 000 | 48.2 | 21.3 | 26.8 | 7.62 | 151.7 | 48.31 |
| 1956 | 4 099 000 | 197 000 | 83 000 | 114 000 | 48.0 | 20.3 | 27.7 | 7.59 | 143.9 | 49.39 |
| 1957 | 4 217 000 | 202 000 | 81 000 | 121 000 | 47.8 | 19.1 | 28.7 | 7.57 | 136.6 | 50.58 |
| 1958 | 4 341 000 | 207 000 | 79 000 | 128 000 | 47.6 | 18.2 | 29.4 | 7.54 | 129.9 | 51.57 |
| 1959 | 4 473 000 | 212 000 | 77 000 | 135 000 | 47.3 | 17.2 | 30.1 | 7.51 | 123.7 | 52.61 |
| 1960 | 4 611 000 | 217 000 | 75 000 | 142 000 | 47.0 | 16.3 | 30.7 | 7.49 | 118.0 | 53.55 |
| 1961 | 4 752 000 | 221 000 | 74 000 | 147 000 | 46.5 | 15.5 | 31.0 | 7.43 | 113.0 | 54.44 |
| 1962 | 4 895 000 | 227 000 | 73 000 | 154 000 | 46.4 | 14.8 | 31.5 | 7.44 | 108.4 | 55.09 |
| 1963 | 5 045 000 | 233 000 | 72 000 | 162 000 | 46.2 | 14.2 | 32.0 | 7.44 | 104.2 | 55.78 |
| 1964 | 5 203 000 | 241 000 | 71 000 | 170 000 | 46.2 | 13.6 | 32.6 | 7.47 | 100.3 | 56.50 |
| 1965 | 5 368 000 | 249 000 | 70 000 | 179 000 | 46.3 | 13.1 | 33.3 | 7.51 | 96.5 | 57.11 |
| 1966 | 5 542 000 | 258 000 | 70 000 | 188 000 | 46.5 | 12.6 | 33.8 | 7.55 | 92.7 | 57.60 |
| 1967 | 5 723 000 | 267 000 | 70 000 | 197 000 | 46.6 | 12.2 | 34.4 | 7.58 | 88.9 | 58.10 |
| 1968 | 5 913 000 | 276 000 | 68 000 | 208 000 | 46.6 | 11.5 | 35.1 | 7.60 | 85.0 | 59.07 |
| 1969 | 6 111 000 | 288 000 | 67 000 | 220 000 | 47.0 | 11.0 | 36.0 | 7.67 | 81.1 | 59.88 |
| 1970 | 6 319 000 | 298 000 | 67 000 | 231 000 | 47.1 | 10.5 | 36.5 | 7.69 | 77.2 | 60.53 |
| 1971 | 6 539 000 | 305 000 | 65 000 | 240 000 | 46.7 | 10.0 | 36.7 | 7.65 | 73.5 | 61.37 |
| 1972 | 6 769 000 | 314 000 | 65 000 | 249 000 | 46.3 | 9.6 | 36.7 | 7.61 | 70.1 | 61.90 |
| 1973 | 7 003 000 | 322 000 | 69 000 | 253 000 | 45.9 | 9.8 | 36.1 | 7.56 | 66.9 | 60.69 |
| 1974 | 7 245 000 | 331 000 | 63 000 | 267 000 | 45.6 | 8.7 | 36.9 | 7.51 | 63.8 | 63.12 |
| 1975 | 7 497 000 | 341 000 | 63 000 | 278 000 | 45.4 | 8.4 | 37.0 | 7.47 | 60.9 | 63.54 |
| 1976 | 7 759 000 | 352 000 | 63 000 | 289 000 | 45.3 | 8.1 | 37.2 | 7.44 | 58.0 | 63.92 |
| 1977 | 8 029 000 | 364 000 | 65 000 | 299 000 | 45.2 | 8.1 | 37.2 | 7.41 | 55.2 | 63.76 |
| 1978 | 8 310 000 | 373 000 | 60 000 | 314 000 | 44.8 | 7.2 | 37.7 | 7.35 | 52.4 | 65.81 |
| 1979 | 8 601 000 | 382 000 | 60 000 | 322 000 | 44.3 | 6.9 | 37.4 | 7.27 | 49.7 | 66.14 |
| 1980 | 8 899 000 | 390 000 | 60 000 | 330 000 | 43.8 | 6.7 | 37.1 | 7.16 | 47.2 | 66.35 |
| 1981 | 9 204 000 | 396 000 | 68 000 | 328 000 | 43.0 | 7.4 | 35.6 | 7.01 | 47.0 | 64.37 |
| 1982 | 9 511 000 | 404 000 | 83 000 | 321 000 | 42.4 | 8.7 | 33.7 | 6.88 | 48.6 | 61.12 |
| 1983 | 9 835 000 | 413 000 | 58 000 | 355 000 | 41.9 | 5.9 | 36.0 | 6.74 | 40.3 | 67.83 |
| 1984 | 10 183 000 | 422 000 | 55 000 | 366 000 | 41.4 | 5.4 | 35.9 | 6.61 | 38.3 | 68.92 |
| 1985 | 10 541 000 | 432 000 | 57 000 | 375 000 | 41.0 | 5.4 | 35.5 | 6.48 | 36.6 | 68.76 |
| 1986 | 10 908 000 | 441 000 | 57 000 | 384 000 | 40.4 | 5.2 | 35.2 | 6.33 | 35.0 | 69.21 |
| 1987 | 11 281 000 | 447 000 | 58 000 | 389 000 | 39.6 | 5.1 | 34.5 | 6.13 | 33.5 | 69.30 |
| 1988 | 11 658 000 | 448 000 | 58 000 | 390 000 | 38.4 | 4.9 | 33.4 | 5.89 | 32.3 | 69.67 |
| 1989 | 12 034 000 | 446 000 | 58 000 | 388 000 | 37.1 | 4.9 | 32.2 | 5.63 | 31.1 | 69.76 |
| 1990 | 12 409 000 | 446 000 | 59 000 | 387 000 | 35.9 | 4.8 | 31.1 | 5.38 | 29.9 | 69.82 |
| 1991 | 12 782 000 | 444 000 | 60 000 | 384 000 | 34.7 | 4.7 | 30.0 | 5.12 | 28.8 | 70.04 |
| 1992 | 13 156 000 | 448 000 | 60 000 | 387 000 | 34.0 | 4.6 | 29.4 | 4.95 | 27.7 | 70.26 |
| 1993 | 13 537 000 | 459 000 | 62 000 | 397 000 | 33.9 | 4.6 | 29.3 | 4.83 | 26.5 | 70.19 |
| 1994 | 13 923 000 | 468 000 | 64 000 | 404 000 | 33.6 | 4.6 | 29.0 | 4.72 | 25.4 | 70.14 |
| 1995 | 14 313 000 | 474 000 | 64 000 | 409 000 | 33.1 | 4.5 | 28.6 | 4.57 | 24.2 | 70.42 |
| 1996 | 14 709 000 | 478 000 | 67 000 | 411 000 | 32.5 | 4.5 | 28.0 | 4.43 | 23.1 | 70.35 |
| 1997 | 15 104 000 | 481 000 | 69 000 | 412 000 | 31.8 | 4.5 | 27.3 | 4.28 | 22.0 | 70.28 |
| 1998 | 15 501 000 | 487 000 | 71 000 | 416 000 | 31.4 | 4.6 | 26.8 | 4.18 | 21.0 | 70.20 |
| 1999 | 15 901 000 | 493 000 | 72 000 | 421 000 | 31.0 | 4.5 | 26.5 | 4.08 | 20.1 | 70.43 |
| 2000 | 16 308 000 | 500 000 | 72 000 | 428 000 | 30.6 | 4.4 | 26.2 | 4.00 | 19.3 | 70.76 |
| 2001 | 16 728 000 | 519 000 | 70 000 | 449 000 | 31.0 | 4.2 | 26.8 | 4.01 | 18.6 | 71.64 |
| 2002 | 17 164 000 | 529 000 | 70 000 | 459 000 | 30.8 | 4.1 | 26.7 | 3.95 | 18.0 | 71.94 |
| 2003 | 17 611 000 | 541 000 | 70 000 | 471 000 | 30.7 | 4.0 | 26.7 | 3.90 | 17.4 | 72.41 |
| 2004 | 18 084 000 | 553 000 | 72 000 | 481 000 | 30.6 | 4.0 | 26.6 | 3.86 | 17.0 | 72.48 |
| 2005 | 18 584 000 | 567 000 | 73 000 | 494 000 | 30.5 | 3.9 | 26.6 | 3.81 | 16.6 | 72.77 |
| 2006 | 19 432 000 | 579 000 | 72 000 | 507 000 | 30.3 | 3.8 | 26.5 | 3.76 | 16.3 | 73.35 |
| 2007 | 20 703 000 | 625 000 | 75 000 | 551 000 | 30.8 | 3.7 | 27.1 | 3.70 | 16.1 | 73.71 |
| 2008 | 21 474 000 | 673 000 | 81 000 | 592 000 | 31.0 | 3.7 | 27.3 | 3.61 | 16.0 | 73.55 |
| 2009 | 21 827 000 | 650 000 | 80 000 | 569 000 | 29.7 | 3.7 | 26.1 | 3.51 | 15.9 | 73.85 |
| 2010 | 22 338 000 | 641 000 | 83 000 | 558 000 | 28.7 | 3.7 | 25.0 | 3.40 | 15.9 | 73.88 |
| 2011 | 22 731 000 | 629 000 | 90 000 | 539 000 | 27.5 | 3.9 | 23.6 | 3.28 | 16.4 | 73.31 |
| 2012 | 22 606 000 | 615 000 | 148 000 | 467 000 | 26.6 | 6.4 | 20.2 | 3.22 | 23.0 | 66.77 |
| 2013 | 21 496 000 | 568 000 | 173 000 | 394 000 | 25.2 | 7.7 | 17.5 | 3.17 | 26.3 | 63.83 |
| 2014 | 20 072 000 | 465 000 | 168 000 | 297 000 | 22.4 | 8.1 | 14.3 | 3.10 | 27.1 | 63.15 |
| 2015 | 19 205 000 | 397 000 | 143 000 | 254 000 | 20.2 | 7.3 | 12.9 | 3.05 | 25.1 | 65.12 |
| 2016 | 18 964 000 | 359 000 | 133 000 | 226 000 | 18.9 | 7.0 | 11.9 | 2.99 | 24.5 | 65.99 |
| 2017 | 18 983 000 | 355 000 | 115 000 | 240 000 | 18.6 | 6.0 | 12.5 | 2.94 | 18.5 | 68.48 |
| 2018 | 19 333 000 | 346 000 | 106 000 | 240 000 | 18.2 | 5.6 | 12.6 | 2.89 | 18.6 | 70.15 |
| 2019 | 20 098 000 | 375 000 | 100 000 | 275 000 | 18.9 | 5.0 | 13.9 | 2.84 | 18.1 | 71.82 |
| 2020 | 20 773 000 | 406 000 | 103 000 | 303 000 | 19.7 | 5.0 | 14.7 | 2.80 | 18.1 | 72.14 |
| 2021 | 21 324 000 | 427 000 | 109 000 | 318 000 | 20.1 | 5.1 | 15.0 | 2.75 | 17.8 | 72.06 |
| Name | TFR (2009) |
|---|---|
| Aleppo | 3.2 |
| Damascus | 2.6 |
| Daraa | 5.2 |
| Deir ez-Zor | 6.9 |
| Hama | 3.3 |
| Al-Hasakah | 3.5 |
| Homs | 3.1 |
| Idlib | 4.8 |
| Latakia | 2.2 |
| Quneitra | 3.8 |
| Raqqa | 5 |
| Rif Dimashq | 3.3 |
| Al-Suwayda | 2.1 |
| Tartus | 2.3 |
| Syria | 3.5 |
| Name | MFR (2009) |
|---|---|
| Aleppo | 5.4 |
| Damascus | 4.7 |
| Daraa | 7.3 |
| Deir ez-Zor | 10.2 |
| Hama | 6.6 |
| Al-Hasakah | 6.8 |
| Homs | 5.9 |
| Idlib | 7.7 |
| Latakia | 4.5 |
| Quneitra | 6.5 |
| Raqqa | 7.9 |
| Rif Dimashq | 5.4 |
| Al-Suwayda | 4 |
| Tartus | 4.8 |
| Syria | 6 |
Life expectancy at birth
This data is from CIA World Factbook:[45]
total: 75.2 years
male: 72.8 years
female: 77.8 years (2018 est.)
Population centers
60% of the population lives in the Aleppo Governorate, the Euphrates valley or along the coastal plain; a fertile strip between the coastal mountains and the desert. Overall population density is about 118.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (306/sq mi).
Urbanization
This data is from CIA World Factbook:[45]
Urban population: 54.2% of total population (2018)
Rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas
As of 2018; this data is from CIA World Factbook:[45]
Damascus (capital): 2.32 million
Aleppo: 1.754 million
Homs: 1.295 million
Hama: 894,000
Ethnicity and religion
On 1 January 2011, Syria was estimated to have a population of 24 million people, distributed over its 14 governorates.[50] Arabs represent 80-85% of the population, with the rest being a mixture of many ethnic and religious sects, as shown in the table below:
| Ethnic and religious groups | % of Syrian population[50] | Notes[50] |
|---|---|---|
| Syrian Arabs | 80–85% | The Arabs form the majority in all districts except for the Al-Hasakah Governorate. |
| Kurds | 10% | The majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims, with a Yazidi minority; concentrated in Syrian Kurdistan region and major urban centres outside that region. |
| Turkmen/Turkoman | 4–5% | Descendants of ethnic Turks, rather than Turkmens. These figures exclude the Arabic-speaking Turks. Only approximately 30% of Turkmen speak a Turkic language. The majority are Sunni Muslims. |
| Assyrians | 3–4% | Most Assyrians are Christians |
| Circassians | 1.5% | The majority of Circassians are Sunni Muslims. |
| Armenians | 1% | The majority of Armenians are Christians. |
| Smaller groups of Albanians, Greeks and Chechens, among others | <0.9% (combined) | A significant number of these ethnic groups are Arabized, particularly those that adhere to Islam. |
The CIA World Factbook cites the following figures for ethnic groups as at July 2018: approximately Arab 50%, Alawite 15%, Kurd 10%, Levantine 10%, other 15% (includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrians, Turkmen, Armenian and Chechens).[5] However, Professor John A. Shoup said in 2018 that Kurds made 9% of the population, followed by Turkish-speaking Turkmen comprising 4-5%, Assyrians 4%, Armenians 2%, and Circassians about 1% of the total population.[51]
There has been no Syrian census including a question about religion since 1960, these are thus the last official statistics available:[53]
In 1991 Professor Alasdair Drysdale and Professor Raymond Hinnebusch said that some 85% of Syrians were Muslims and that the remainder were almost all Christians, however, both religious groups were subdivided into many ethnic sects.[54] Among the former, approximately 75% of Syrians were Sunni Muslim, of whom, 60% were Arabic-speaking and the remainder of Sunnis included Kurds 8.5%, Turkmen/Turkoman 3%, and Circassians (less than 1%).[54] In addition, Alawis formed 5.5%, Druze 3% and Ismailis 1.5% of the population. In regards to the Christians, they were subdivided into the Greek Orthodox 4.7%, Armenians 4% and Assyrians 1%.[54]
According to Pierre Beckouche, before 2011, Sunni Muslims accounted for 78% of Syria's population, which included 500,000 Palestinian refugees and the non-Arab Sunni Muslims, namely the Kurds 9-10% and the Turkmen/Turkoman 4%.[55] Other Muslims included Shias and Alawites 11%-16%, whilst the Christians made up 6% of the population.[55] There were also a few Jewish communities in Aleppo and Damascus.[55]
The CIA World Factbook cites the following figures for religious groups: religions - Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10% (mainly of the Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches[56] - may be smaller as a result of Christians fleeing the country), Druze 3%.[5]
The first census which focused on the sectarian distribution was carried out in 1932 under the French mandate, however, this census was only carried out in the lands under the short-lived Government of Latakia (the Alawite State established by the French) which covered only 7,000 km2 (2,700 sq mi) out of modern Syria's total area of 185,000 km2 (71,000 sq mi).[57] A general census of Syria in 1943 gave details of religious groups of the population and the rate of growth of each and estimates of the population in 1953 from an unnamed source were as follows:
| 1943 census[57][58] | 1953 census[57] | Growth[57] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnis | 1,971,053 (68.91%) | 2,578,810 (70.54%) | 31% |
| Shi'ites | 12,742 (0.45%) | 14,887 (0.41%) | 17% |
| Alawites | 325,311 (11.37%) | 398,445 (10.90%) | 22% |
| Ismailis | 28,527 (1.00%) | 36,745 (1.01%) | 29% |
| Druze | 87,184 (3.05%) | 113,318 (3.10%) | 30% |
| Yezidi | 2,788 (0.10%) | 3,082 (0.08%) | 11% |
| Total Muslims | 2,427,605 (84.87%) | 3,145,287 (86.03%) | 30% |
| Jews | 29,770 (1.04%) | 31,647 (0.87%) | 6% |
| Christians | 403,036 (14.09%) | 478,970 (13.10%) | 19% |
Literacy rate
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 enrollment at post-secondary schools is over 150,000. The literacy rate of Syrians aged 15 and older is 86.0% for males and 73.6% for females.[59]
Languages
Arabic is the official, and most widely spoken, language. Arabic speakers make up 85% of the population. Several modern Arabic dialects are used in everyday life, most notably Levantine in the west and Mesopotamian in the northeast. A report published by the UNHCR points out that "while the majority of Syrians are considered Arabs, this is a term based on spoken language (Arabic), not ethnicity."[60]
According to The Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics, in addition to Arabic, the following languages are spoken in the country, in order of the number of speakers: Kurdish,[61] Turkish,[61] Neo-Aramaic (four dialects),[61] Circassian,[61] Chechen,[61] Armenian,[61] and finally Greek.[61] None of these languages have official status.[61]
Many educated Syrians also speak English and French.[62][63]