Page last updated on February 20, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Syrian(s)
adjective:
Syrian
Ethnic groups:
Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Languages:
Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian (widely understood); French, English (somewhat understood)
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (Islam - official) 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Population:
22,530,746 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
note:
approximately 18,700 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2011)
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 3,990,769/female 3,793,859)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
21.1% (male 2,431,142/female 2,326,152)
25-54 years:
36.1% (male 4,140,624/female 4,001,430)
55-64 years:
4.4% (male 487,540/female 501,217)
65 years and over:
3.8% (male 393,984/female 464,029) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.3 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
22.1 years
female:
22.5 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.797% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 226
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
23.52 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
3.67 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
-27.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 56% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
2.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
Aleppo 2.985 million; DAMASCUS (capital) 2.527 million; Hims 1.276 million; Hamah 854,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.85 male(s)/female
total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
70 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 88
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.12 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 114
male:
17.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
12.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.92 years
country comparison to the world: 95
male:
72.53 years
female:
77.45 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.85 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 180
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
1.5 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
1.5 beds/1,000 population (2009)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 96% of population
rural: 95% of population
total: 96% of population
unimproved:
