Syria Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Syria is 26,829,400 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 24,672,760 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 19.6M people to 26.8M (36.6% growth in 20 years).
Syria is ranked 56/197 by population and was ranked 58th in 2006.
Syria accounts for 0.32% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, Syria has had an average growth rate of 1.83% per year.
Syria is projected to reach 45.1M people in 2086.

Syria population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	44,620,090	-0.16%
2099	44,690,260	-0.13%
2098	44,750,249	-0.14%
2097	44,813,148	-0.12%
2096	44,867,740	-0.06%
2095	44,895,489	-0.11%
2094	44,945,231	-0.06%
2093	44,974,311	-0.07%
2092	45,003,795	-0.03%
2091	45,016,478	-0.07%
2090	45,048,083	0.002%
2089	45,047,102	0.01%
2088	45,041,864	-0.02%
2087	45,049,516	-0.04%
2086	45,068,928	0.08%
2085	45,034,847	0.08%
2084	44,999,929	0.06%
2083	44,971,600	0.14%
2082	44,910,859	0.15%
2081	44,843,908	0.22%
2080	44,744,718	0.13%
2079	44,687,371	0.08%
2078	44,649,760	0.1%
2077	44,604,175	0.19%
2076	44,520,132	0.21%
2075	44,426,423	0.22%
2074	44,328,795	0.24%
2073	44,221,016	0.31%
2072	44,084,262	0.33%
2071	43,939,848	0.33%
2070	43,795,999	0.34%
2069	43,648,130	0.42%
2068	43,465,442	0.45%
2067	43,271,173	0.49%
2066	43,060,752	0.58%
2065	42,810,442	0.59%
2064	42,559,554	0.59%
2063	42,311,907	0.59%
2062	42,062,193	0.61%
2061	41,808,082	0.69%
2060	41,522,274	0.76%
2059	41,208,825	0.69%
2058	40,925,728	0.69%
2057	40,643,453	0.77%
2056	40,332,578	0.76%
2055	40,026,632	0.84%
2054	39,691,425	0.87%
2053	39,348,020	0.78%
2052	39,045,268	0.8%
2051	38,733,827	0.84%
2050	38,410,423	0.84%
2049	38,089,455	0.81%
2048	37,784,449	0.78%
2047	37,492,636	0.84%
2046	37,181,526	0.92%
2045	36,843,579	0.87%
2044	36,526,509	0.93%
2043	36,188,225	1.01%
2042	35,825,419	1.07%
2041	35,447,414	1.16%
2040	35,042,107	1.2%
2039	34,626,945	1.3%
2038	34,183,740	1.42%
2037	33,703,682	1.44%
2036	33,223,843	1.61%
2035	32,696,648	1.7%
2034	32,148,814	1.86%
2033	31,562,427	1.92%
2032	30,967,322	2.1%
2031	30,329,874	2.21%
2030	29,672,629	2.5%
2029	28,949,535	2.59%
2028	28,217,748	2.88%
2027	27,428,807	3.09%
2026	26,607,148	3.57%
2025	25,689,551	4.12%
2024	24,672,760	4.57%
2023	23,594,623	5.04%
2022	22,462,173	3.85%
2021	21,628,839	2.75%
2020	21,049,429	3.42%
2019	20,353,534	3.96%
2018	19,577,845	1.84%
2017	19,224,668	0.16%
2016	19,193,834	-1.19%
2015	19,424,618	-4.19%
2014	20,273,659	-6.43%
2013	21,666,917	-4.8%
2012	22,759,763	-0.52%
2011	22,878,098	1.76%
2010	22,482,421	2.3%
2009	21,976,969	1.57%
2008	21,636,564	3.6%
2007	20,884,125	6.35%
2006	19,637,022	4.37%
2005	18,814,091	2.6%
2004	18,336,875	2.5%
2003	17,889,296	2.41%
2002	17,468,332	2.45%
2001	17,051,338	2.48%
2000	16,637,888	2.53%
1999	16,228,061	2.58%
1998	15,820,413	2.61%
1997	15,417,542	2.66%
1996	15,018,104	2.75%
1995	14,616,801	2.87%
1994	14,208,583	2.99%
1993	13,795,686	3.06%
1992	13,385,571	3.12%
1991	12,980,821	3.19%
1990	12,579,208	3.29%
1989	12,179,060	3.37%
1988	11,782,264	3.45%
1987	11,388,923	3.51%
1986	11,002,844	3.55%
1985	10,625,672	3.58%
1984	10,258,398	3.57%
1983	9,904,809	3.47%
1982	9,572,511	3.37%
1981	9,260,189	3.38%
1980	8,957,663	3.41%
1979	8,661,909	3.45%
1978	8,372,759	3.49%
1977	8,090,501	3.49%
1976	7,817,320	3.48%
1975	7,554,364	3.45%
1974	7,302,160	3.43%
1973	7,060,321	3.43%
1972	6,826,024	3.45%
1971	6,598,094	3.41%
1970	6,380,609	3.33%
1969	6,175,166	3.29%
1968	5,978,742	3.26%
1967	5,790,198	3.23%
1966	5,609,047	3.2%
1965	5,435,267	3.15%
1964	5,269,087	3.1%
1963	5,110,467	3.05%
1962	4,959,340	2.99%
1961	4,815,466	3.04%
1960	4,673,500	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/syria | CC BY

Syria has a population of 26.8M as of 2026, compared to 19.2M in 2016, 19.6M in 2006, and 15M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 3.98% per year. Syria is ranked 22nd out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Syria will have 37,181,526 people (38.6% growth) with a rank change from 56th to 52nd.

By the year 2100, Syria's population is projected to grow by 66.3% from its current level to 44.6M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	421,693
2024	-	-	546,494
2023	1,160,022	402,713	757,309
2022	1,104,892	369,750	735,142
2021	561,780	350,560	211,220
2020	597,042	327,992	269,050
2019	794,747	293,762	500,985
2018	756,632	242,530	514,102
2017	-50,287	237,214	-287,501
2016	111,944	236,007	-124,063
2015	-573,519	253,977	-827,496
2014	-1,124,563	333,116	-1,457,679
2013	-1,661,962	419,341	-2,081,303
2012	-523,747	475,520	-999,267
2011	287,062	543,950	-256,888
2010	504,307	558,666	-54,359
2009	506,611	559,314	-52,703
2008	174,200	576,593	-402,393
2007	1,330,676	529,162	801,514
2006	1,163,527	480,616	682,911
2005	482,342	468,960	13,382
2004	472,090	461,209	10,881
2003	423,080	457,000	-33,920
2002	418,871	453,967	-35,096
2001	415,120	451,503	-36,383
2000	411,786	446,211	-34,425
1999	407,867	439,261	-31,394
1998	407,422	433,447	-26,025
1997	398,316	429,887	-31,571
1996	400,568	430,765	-30,197
1995	402,050	430,172	-28,122
1994	414,366	426,996	-12,630
1993	411,416	420,244	-8,828
1992	408,815	412,878	-4,063
1991	400,676	410,830	-10,154
1990	402,557	409,177	-6,620
1989	397,732	406,111	-8,379
1988	395,859	404,285	-8,426
1987	390,824	399,159	-8,335
1986	381,336	390,821	-9,485
1985	373,010	379,231	-6,221
1984	361,523	366,768	-5,245
1983	345,646	355,375	-9,729
1982	318,943	319,664	-721
1981	305,701	330,237	-24,536
1980	299,350	332,464	-33,114
1979	292,150	324,943	-32,793
1978	286,157	316,724	-30,567
1977	278,355	306,630	-28,275
1976	267,999	294,267	-26,268
1975	257,910	282,299	-24,389
1974	246,493	270,735	-24,242
1973	237,185	254,687	-17,502
1972	231,417	249,027	-17,610
1971	224,443	239,610	-15,167
1970	210,523	230,117	-19,594
1969	200,365	219,114	-18,749
1968	192,486	209,454	-16,968
1967	184,605	199,223	-14,618
1966	177,688	191,122	-13,434
1965	169,856	182,560	-12,704
1964	162,505	174,549	-12,044
1963	154,738	166,555	-11,817
1962	147,514	159,155	-11,641
1961	140,248	151,485	-11,237
1960	143,687	143,687	0

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/syria | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 91.3% of the population change in Syria is from natural causes (a gain of 3,047,621 people) and 8.72% is from migration (a gain of 291,069 people).

As of 2024, 896,042 residents or 3.6% of the population were not native-born in Syria, compared to 1,783,595 and 7.9% in 2010.

Syria population clock

	Syria	Rank
Current population	26829400	56/197
Percent of world population	0.32%	56/197
One net population change	29.3 seconds	19/197
One birth every	1.01 minutes	53/196
One death every	4.42 minutes	72/196
Daily growth/decline	+2,954	19/197
Annual growth/decline	+1,078,137	19/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+4.57%	6/197
One migration net change every	1.25 minutes	3/196
Annual migration change	+421,693	3/196
Foreign-born residents	896,042	64/195
Foreign-born share of population	3.6%	110/195

Largest cities by population

Syria
City	Population
Damascus	2.69M
Aleppo	2M
Homs	775K
Latakia	709K
Hama	697K
Raqqa	300K
Deir ez-Zor	272K
Al-Hasakah	188K
Qamishli	184K
Idlib	165K

Syria population statistics

	Syria	World
Life expectancy	73.4 years	73.8 years
Average age	27.8 years	33.8 years
Median age	23.9 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50:50	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	2.71 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	375 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Syria.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/syria | CC BY