Syria ranked 129/197 by economy size with a GDP of $20B and 184/197 by GDP per capita at $847. Syria has $18.4B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 30%.
In 2025, Syria made up 0.02% of the world's economy, compared to 0.06% in 1960.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1960 | $857,704,413 | $2,416,812,218 | - |
| 1961 | $945,244,972 | $2,678,627,030 | 10.2% |
| 1962 | $1,110,565,881 | $3,335,461,124 | 17.5% |
| 1963 | $1,200,447,408 | $3,046,852,122 | 8.09% |
| 1964 | $1,339,494,267 | $3,329,336,867 | 11.6% |
| 1965 | $1,472,036,540 | $3,405,890,769 | 9.89% |
| 1966 | $1,342,287,553 | $3,145,031,364 | -8.81% |
| 1967 | $1,580,229,799 | $3,404,738,073 | 17.7% |
| 1968 | $1,753,746,430 | $3,531,703,487 | 11% |
| 1969 | $2,245,011,515 | $4,194,530,603 | 28% |
| 1970 | $2,140,384,010 | $4,119,161,060 | -4.66% |
| 1971 | $2,589,851,325 | $4,488,065,486 | 21% |
| 1972 | $3,059,681,698 | $5,639,735,188 | 18.1% |
| 1973 | $3,239,487,516 | $5,049,263,095 | 5.88% |
| 1974 | $5,159,557,148 | $6,351,759,533 | 59.3% |
| 1975 | $6,826,980,444 | $7,390,372,324 | 32.3% |
| 1976 | $7,633,528,867 | $8,296,021,554 | 11.8% |
| 1977 | $7,696,011,396 | $8,146,733,163 | 0.82% |
| 1978 | $9,275,200,458 | $8,956,729,450 | 20.5% |
| 1979 | $9,929,681,529 | $9,036,264,207 | 7.06% |
| 1980 | $13,062,420,382 | $10,347,255,986 | 31.5% |
| 1981 | $15,518,201,335 | $11,149,721,268 | 18.8% |
| 1982 | $16,298,929,011 | $11,460,696,656 | 5.03% |
| 1983 | $17,589,277,143 | $11,726,623,777 | 7.92% |
| 1984 | $17,503,078,174 | $10,834,153,805 | -0.49% |
| 1985 | $16,403,539,893 | $11,847,234,654 | -6.28% |
| 1986 | $13,293,205,278 | $10,905,032,498 | -19% |
| 1987 | $11,356,215,543 | $11,088,485,935 | -14.6% |
| 1988 | $10,577,041,645 | $13,085,648,672 | -6.86% |
| 1989 | $9,853,395,762 | $11,299,813,273 | -6.84% |
| 1990 | $12,308,624,418 | $11,722,376,107 | 24.9% |
| 1991 | $12,981,833,333 | $12,621,068,342 | 5.47% |
| 1992 | $13,253,565,861 | $14,258,373,042 | 2.09% |
| 1993 | $13,695,962,055 | $15,135,390,679 | 3.34% |
| 1994 | $10,122,020,000 | $16,227,110,829 | -26.1% |
| 1995 | $11,396,706,587 | $17,367,323,301 | 12.6% |
| 1996 | $13,789,560,878 | $19,073,761,706 | 21% |
| 1997 | $14,505,233,463 | $20,031,990,206 | 5.19% |
| 1998 | $15,200,846,154 | $21,391,221,744 | 4.8% |
| 1999 | $15,873,875,969 | $20,631,095,403 | 4.43% |
| 2000 | $18,937,052,543 | $20,770,487,870 | 19.3% |
| 2001 | $20,237,024,725 | $20,988,014,510 | 6.86% |
| 2002 | $20,669,357,462 | $21,818,055,209 | 2.14% |
| 2003 | $21,828,144,686 | $23,389,922,826 | 5.61% |
| 2004 | $25,086,950,495 | $25,004,519,711 | 14.9% |
| 2005 | $28,858,965,517 | $26,558,570,073 | 15% |
| 2006 | $33,751,788,856 | $27,898,767,456 | 17% |
| 2007 | $40,465,318,382 | $29,481,908,620 | 19.9% |
| 2008 | $52,557,913,569 | $30,801,717,185 | 29.9% |
| 2009 | $54,111,735,629 | $32,622,727,886 | 2.96% |
| 2010 | $61,390,830,875 | $34,316,469,201 | 13.5% |
| 2011 | $67,539,428,159 | $35,294,489,549 | 10% |
| 2012 | $43,190,318,033 | $25,998,267,919 | -36.1% |
| 2013 | $21,361,254,635 | $19,160,700,666 | -50.5% |
| 2014 | $21,502,061,466 | $17,185,167,298 | 0.66% |
| 2015 | $16,466,863,117 | $16,466,863,117 | -23.4% |
| 2016 | $12,597,854,877 | $15,412,063,258 | -23.5% |
| 2017 | $16,369,843,352 | $15,300,590,613 | 29.9% |
| 2018 | $21,497,782,868 | $15,513,754,781 | 31.3% |
| 2019 | $22,583,045,060 | $15,703,131,996 | 5.05% |
| 2020 | $12,047,752,036 | $15,593,656,904 | -46.7% |
| 2021 | $14,353,205,678 | $15,882,796,970 | 19.1% |
| 2022 | $23,622,827,080 | $15,999,183,136 | 64.6% |
| 2023 | $19,993,439,950 | $15,806,030,725 | -15.4% |
Economic Statistics of Syria
Syria
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$20B
2023 |
129/197 |
| GDP growth |
-15.4%
2022-2023 |
192/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$847
2023 |
184/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$4,650
2023 |
160/197 |
| Government debt |
$18.4B
2010 |
103/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
30%
2010 |
159/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$820
2010 |
148/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$731
2025 |
197/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
21.1%
2022 |
165/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
3.8%
2022 |
20/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
28.6%
2010 |
107/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
13.4%
2018-2019 |
21/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
8.61%
2010 |
48/196 |
| Population |
26304877
|
57/197 |
Syria's GDP per capita
Syria has a GDP per capita of $847, ranking 184/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $4,650, ranking 160/197, and a median annual after tax income of $731, ranking 197/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $183.5 | - |
| 1961 | $196.3 | - |
| 1962 | $223.9 | - |
| 1963 | $234.9 | - |
| 1964 | $254.2 | - |
| 1965 | $270.8 | - |
| 1966 | $239.3 | - |
| 1967 | $272.9 | - |
| 1968 | $293.3 | - |
| 1969 | $364 | - |
| 1970 | $335 | - |
| 1971 | $393 | - |
| 1972 | $448 | - |
| 1973 | $459 | - |
| 1974 | $707 | - |
| 1975 | $904 | - |
| 1976 | $976 | - |
| 1977 | $951 | - |
| 1978 | $1,108 | - |
| 1979 | $1,146 | - |
| 1980 | $1,458 | - |
| 1981 | $1,676 | - |
| 1982 | $1,703 | - |
| 1983 | $1,776 | - |
| 1984 | $1,706 | - |
| 1985 | $1,544 | - |
| 1986 | $1,208 | - |
| 1987 | $997 | - |
| 1988 | $898 | - |
| 1989 | $809 | - |
| 1990 | $978 | - |
| 1991 | $1,000 | - |
| 1992 | $990 | - |
| 1993 | $993 | - |
| 1994 | $712 | - |
| 1995 | $780 | - |
| 1996 | $918 | - |
| 1997 | $941 | - |
| 1998 | $961 | - |
| 1999 | $978 | - |
| 2000 | $1,138 | - |
| 2001 | $1,187 | - |
| 2002 | $1,183 | - |
| 2003 | $1,220 | - |
| 2004 | $1,368 | - |
| 2005 | $1,534 | - |
| 2006 | $1,719 | - |
| 2007 | $1,938 | - |
| 2008 | $2,429 | - |
| 2009 | $2,462 | - |
| 2010 | $2,731 | - |
| 2011 | $2,952 | - |
| 2012 | $1,898 | - |
| 2013 | $986 | - |
| 2014 | $1,061 | - |
| 2015 | $848 | - |
| 2016 | $656 | - |
| 2017 | $852 | $3,265 |
| 2018 | $1,098 | $3,456 |
| 2019 | $1,110 | $3,502 |
| 2020 | $572 | $3,738 |
| 2021 | $664 | $4,593 |
| 2022 | $1,052 | $4,772 |
| 2023 | $847 | $4,650 |
Syria's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Syria's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 21 years, Syria recorded a fiscal deficit in 20 years — average annual deficit equal to -3.4% of GDP. In 2010, government spending reached $17.6B (28.6% of GDP), with a deficit of -7.79%.
The national debt reached $18.4B, ranking 103rd out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 30%, ranking 159th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1990 | 28.3% | 189.8% | -3.92% |
| 1991 | 34.3% | 182.4% | -6.57% |
| 1992 | 34.2% | 173.6% | -7.26% |
| 1993 | 29.4% | 171.9% | -4.96% |
| 1994 | 30.3% | 163% | -6% |
| 1995 | 29.8% | 152.6% | -3.81% |
| 1996 | 27.7% | 141.5% | -2.83% |
| 1997 | 29% | 147.6% | -1.78% |
| 1998 | 28.8% | 151.2% | -2.81% |
| 1999 | 28% | 147.7% | -1.47% |
| 2000 | 27.4% | 152.1% | -1.36% |
| 2001 | 28% | 144.5% | 2.3% |
| 2002 | 28.5% | 132.4% | -2.02% |
| 2003 | 32.6% | 133.4% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 31.3% | 113% | -4.18% |
| 2005 | 28.2% | 50.7% | -4.41% |
| 2006 | 26.3% | 45% | -1.12% |
| 2007 | 25.7% | 42.7% | -2.99% |
| 2008 | 22.9% | 37.3% | -2.86% |
| 2009 | 26.7% | 31.2% | -2.89% |
| 2010 | 28.6% | 30% | -7.79% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Syria has had an average annual inflation rate of 13.2%. In 2019, inflation was 13.4%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.12% |
| 1961 | 1.96% |
| 1962 | -3.85% |
| 1963 | 1.92% |
| 1964 | 5.4% |
| 1965 | -3.88% |
| 1966 | 3.79% |
| 1967 | 6.45% |
| 1968 | 2.85% |
| 1969 | -1.99% |
| 1970 | 4.64% |
| 1971 | 5.61% |
| 1972 | 2.1% |
| 1973 | 20.4% |
| 1974 | 15.5% |
| 1975 | 11.5% |
| 1976 | 11.4% |
| 1977 | 12% |
| 1978 | 4.81% |
| 1979 | 4.55% |
| 1980 | 19.3% |
| 1981 | 18.4% |
| 1982 | 14.3% |
| 1983 | 6.13% |
| 1984 | 9.23% |
| 1985 | 17.3% |
| 1986 | 36.1% |
| 1987 | 59.5% |
| 1988 | 34.6% |
| 1989 | 11.4% |
| 1990 | 19.4% |
| 1991 | 9% |
| 1992 | 11% |
| 1993 | 13.2% |
| 1994 | 15.3% |
| 1995 | 7.98% |
| 1996 | 8.25% |
| 1997 | 1.89% |
| 1998 | -0.8% |
| 1999 | -3.7% |
| 2000 | -3.85% |
| 2001 | 3% |
| 2002 | -0.13% |
| 2003 | 5.8% |
| 2004 | 4.43% |
| 2005 | 7.24% |
| 2006 | 10% |
| 2007 | 3.91% |
| 2008 | 15.7% |
| 2009 | 2.92% |
| 2010 | 4.4% |
| 2011 | 4.75% |
| 2012 | 36.7% |
| 2013 | 40% |
| 2014 | 10.9% |
| 2015 | 38.5% |
| 2016 | 47.7% |
| 2017 | 18.1% |
| 2018 | 0.94% |
| 2019 | 13.4% |
Balance of trade
|
Syria
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$367M
2010 |
100/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-0.6%
2010 |
80/189 |
| Goods imports |
$15.9B
2010 |
86/188 |
| Goods exports |
$12.3B
2010 |
92/188 |
| Service imports |
$3.53B
2010 |
101/188 |
| Service exports |
$7.33B
2010 |
78/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
28.8%
2022 |
138/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
6.81%
2022 |
187/193 |
Syria's top 10 trading partners
Syria's biggest trading partner accounting for 9.96%% of all exports and imports is Italy, with a trade balance between the two of +$228M — Syria exports $1.52B worth of goods and services to Italy and imports $1.29B.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Syria.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Italy
|
$2.81B | 9.96% | $1.52B | $1.29B | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 2 |
Iraq
|
$2.32B | 8.24% | $2.29B | $30.4M | Chemicals & pharma | Chemicals & pharma |
| 3 |
Turkey
|
$2.3B | 8.15% | $629M | $1.67B | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 4 |
Germany
|
$2.22B | 7.85% | $1.48B | $739M | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 5 |
China
|
$1.63B | 5.76% | $81.4M | $1.55B | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 6 |
Saudi Arabia
|
$1.35B | 4.78% | $543M | $808M | Raw agricultural goods | Chemicals & pharma |
| 7 |
Ukraine
|
$1.2B | 4.24% | $63.5M | $1.13B | Textiles & consumer goods | Metals |
| 8 |
Russia
|
$1.14B | 4.05% | $33.3M | $1.11B | Textiles & consumer goods | Raw materials & minerals |
| 9 |
Egypt
|
$1.13B | 4% | $389M | $740M | Textiles & consumer goods | Metals |
| 10 |
South Korea
|
$1.07B | 3.78% | $141M | $925M | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
Syria's top 10 exports
|
Syria
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials & minerals | $5.93B | 69/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $2.21B | 98/188 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $1.38B | 70/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $1.03B | 67/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $891M | 76/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $890M | 85/192 |
| Animal & marine products | $542M | 70/192 |
| Metals | $291M | 105/192 |
| Machinery & equipment | $247M | 109/193 |
| Business & finance services | $144M | 120/188 |
Syria's top 10 imports
|
Syria
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Raw materials & minerals | $4.11B | 79/193 |
| Machinery & equipment | $3.72B | 99/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $2.58B | 92/188 |
| Metals | $2.25B | 71/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $2.14B | 84/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $1.76B | 77/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $1.73B | 62/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $984M | 98/193 |
| Wood & paper products | $573M | 78/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $257M | 107/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Syria
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 51.2 | 155/197 |
| Property rights | 2.6 | 180/182 |
| Government integrity | 3.3 | 180/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 3.7 | 180/182 |
| Tax burden | 86.2 | 52/181 |
| Government spending | 78.5 | 69/180 |
| Fiscal health | 13.8 | 159/181 |
| Business freedom | 35 | 167/182 |
| Labor freedom | 46.5 | 161/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 60.6 | 154/180 |
| Trade freedom | 47 | 176/181 |
| Investment freedom | 0 | 180/181 |
| Financial freedom | 20 | 172/181 |
Syria's economic freedom by year
Syria is ranked 137/178 for economic freedom with a score of 51.2, compared to 123/140 and a score of 42.3 in 1996.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 1996 | 42.3 | - | 38.6 | 73.5 | - |
| 1997 | 43 | - | 38.6 | 75.3 | - |
| 1998 | 42.2 | - | 38.2 | 74.1 | - |
| 1999 | 39 | - | 39.2 | 76.5 | - |
| 2000 | 37.2 | - | 39 | 65.3 | - |
| 2001 | 36.6 | - | 39.2 | 65.3 | - |
| 2002 | 36.3 | - | 40.4 | 63.3 | - |
| 2003 | 41.3 | - | 75.8 | 71 | - |
| 2004 | 40.6 | - | 62.7 | 72.1 | - |
| 2005 | 46.3 | - | 82.5 | 70.4 | - |
| 2006 | 51.2 | - | 80.1 | 67.1 | - |
| 2007 | 48.3 | - | 82.4 | 58.3 | - |
| 2008 | 47.2 | - | 86.2 | 60.3 | - |
| 2009 | 51.3 | - | 87 | 74.9 | - |
| 2010 | 49.4 | - | 87 | 80.2 | - |
| 2011 | 51.3 | - | 84.6 | 85.3 | - |
| 2012 | 51.2 | - | 84.4 | 78.5 | - |
| 2013 | - | - | 86.2 | - | - |
| 2014 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2015 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2016 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2017 | - | 22.6 | - | - | 0 |
| 2018 | - | 22.1 | - | - | 13.8 |
| 2019 | - | 24.4 | - | - | - |
| 2020 | - | 20.8 | - | - | - |
| 2021 | - | 19.7 | - | - | - |
| 2022 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2023 | - | 6.5 | - | - | - |
| 2024 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2025 | - | 3.7 | - | - | - |
More economic indicators
|
Syria
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
44.9%
2022 |
159/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
12%
2022 |
171/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
43.1%
2022 |
2/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$18.2B
2023 |
129/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$4,480
2023 |
157/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$20.6B
2010 |
62/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$1.47B
2010 |
130/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$804M
2011 |
101/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$0
1989 |
159/187 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
0.15%
2023 |
118/119 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
35.2%
2007 |
49/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
16%
1969 |
152/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.