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Syria Population and religion percentage

Syria officially the Syrian Arab Republic is a country in Western Asia. It is located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest.

As per the UN World Population Prospects report, the estimated population of Syria in 2024 is 24,348,053 (24 million or 2.4 Crore)

Syria location on Map

Table of Contents

Syria Demographics
Syria2023 Population
Total Population23,227,014 
Land Area 183,630 sq. km (70,900 sq. mi)
Pop. Density95 people/sq. km
Capital CityDamascus
Fertility Rate2.84
Infant mortality rate11.3
Median Age in Syria 25.6 Years
Life Expectancy in Syria76.06 years
Urban Population of Syria60 %

Religion in Syria

Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including the majority of Syrian Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Armenians, Circassians, Albanians, and Greeks. Religious groups include Muslims, Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Yazidis. 

Islam is the Majority religion in Syria and is followed by 87% of the population. Sunni Muslims make up between 69 and 74% of Syria’s population and 13% of Syrians are Shia Muslims (particularly Alawites, Ismailis, and Twelvers)

Among Sunnis, Arabs account for 59–60% of the population. Most Kurds (8.5%) and most Turkmen (3%) are Sunni and account for the difference between Sunnis and Sunni Arabs.

Chrisanity is the second largest religion and accounts for 10% of the population. Greek Orthodox make up 45.7% of the Christian population; the Syriac Orthodox make up 22.4%; the Armenian Orthodox make up 10.9%; the Catholics (including Greek Catholic, Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Maronite, Chaldean Catholic, and Latin) make up 16.2%; Assyrian Church of the East and several smaller Christian denominations account for the remainder.

Druze a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion is also followed by 3% of the Syrian population. Syria has the largest Druze population in the world. Druze numbered around 500,000  and concentrated mainly in the southern area of Jabal al-Druze.

Syria was once home to a substantial population of Jews, with large communities in Damascus, Aleppo, and Qamishii. Due to a combination of persecution in Syria and opportunities elsewhere, the Jews began to emigrate in the second half of the 19th century to Great Britain, the United States, and Israel. The process was completed with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. In 2021 there were no Jews left in Syria.

Religion percentage in Syria

Religion / AffilationsPercentage
Sunni Islam 74%
Shia (Alawites, Ismailis, Twelvers)13%
Christianity10%
Druze3%

Ethnic composition

Arabs make up roughly 74% of the population.  The second-largest ethnic group in Syria is the Kurds. They constitute about 9% of the population, and most Kurds reside in the northeastern corner of Syria. The third largest ethnic group is the Turkish-speaking Syrian Turkmen/Turkoman.

The fourth largest ethnic group is the Assyrians (3–4%), followed by the Circassians (1.5%) and the Armenians (1%). There are also smaller ethnic minority groups, such as the Albanians, Bosnians, Georgians, Greeks, Persians, Pashtuns, and Russians.

Ethnic Percentage

  • Arabs – 74% 
  • Kurds – 19% 
  • Turkomans – 6%
  • Assyrians – 4%
  • Circassians – 1.5%
  • Armenians – 1
  • Others – 2.5%
Top Cities in Syria by Population
#CityDistrictPopulation
1AleppoMount Simeon District21,32,100
2DamascusDamascus (as a district)14,14,913
3HomHoms District6,52,609
4LatakiaLatakia District3,83,786
5HamaHama District3,12,994
6RaqqaRaqqa District2,20,488
7Deir ez-ZorDeir ez-Zor District2,11,857
8Al-HasakahAl-Hasakah District1,88,160
9QamishliQamishli District1,84,231
10Tartus[Tartus District1,15,769

Source: Census 2004

Population of Syria 2024 | Religion in Syria

Rajeev Rana

Rajeev Rana loves reading about history and demography and has been writing on these topics for five years. While not a certified expert, he has a deep understanding of demography in India. Rajeev contributes to several websites and has extensive knowledge of the Delhi NCR area.