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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
Syria | 2023 Population |
Total Population | 23,227,014 |
Land Area | 183,630 sq. km (70,900 sq. mi) |
Pop. Density | 95 people/sq. km |
Capital City | Damascus |
Fertility Rate | 2.84 |
Infant mortality rate | 11.3 |
Median Age in Syria | 25.6 Years |
Life Expectancy in Syria | 76.06 years |
Urban Population of Syria | 60 % |
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 / Affilations | Percentage |
Sunni Islam | 74% |
Shia (Alawites, Ismailis, Twelvers) | 13% |
Christianity | 10% |
Druze | 3% |
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
# | City | District | Population |
1 | Aleppo | Mount Simeon District | 21,32,100 |
2 | Damascus | Damascus (as a district) | 14,14,913 |
3 | Hom | Homs District | 6,52,609 |
4 | Latakia | Latakia District | 3,83,786 |
5 | Hama | Hama District | 3,12,994 |
6 | Raqqa | Raqqa District | 2,20,488 |
7 | Deir ez-Zor | Deir ez-Zor District | 2,11,857 |
8 | Al-Hasakah | Al-Hasakah District | 1,88,160 |
9 | Qamishli | Qamishli District | 1,84,231 |
10 | Tartus[ | Tartus District | 1,15,769 |
Source: Census 2004