Syria population pyramid 2026
26,472,497 people in 2026 (projected). Syria’s pyramid is cut by the civil war: children born in 2012–21 form a narrow band beneath large teenage cohorts born just before the conflict.
- 2026 population
- 26.5Mrank 57 of 237
- Median age
- 23.8 yearsoldest rank 175
- Fertility rate
- 2.62births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Transitional5.0% age 65+
Syria population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Syria age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 27.9% of the population, while 5.0% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 67.1% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Syria’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 48.9: about 49 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (41.6 children and 7.4 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Syria’s population pyramid
A war visible in the youngest bands
Before 2011 Syria’s pyramid was a broad triangle whose base had stopped widening, as fertility fell from about 7.6 children per woman in 1970 to about 3.4 in 2010. The civil war that began in 2011 reshaped it. Millions of Syrians fled abroad, mostly to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and the UN series records net emigration of about 2.2 million between 2000 and 2023; the population grew only from 16.6 million to 23.6 million over the period despite more than 12 million births. Children born to refugees abroad are counted in their host countries, not in Syria.
The result is a deep notch at the bottom of the pyramid. In 2023 the bands under 10, born from about 2014 onward, were far narrower than those aged 10–24, and in 2026 the 5–9 band (born 2017–21) is about 18% smaller than its neighbours. The 15–19 band, born 2007–11 on the eve of the war, is now the largest in the country. Life expectancy, about 73.5 years in 2010, was still lower in 2023, at about 72.
Gaps among young adults and older men
A second, sharper step appears at age 30. In 2026 the 30–34 band, born 1992–96, is roughly 29% smaller than the 25–29 band. These cohorts were in their late teens when the conflict began and in their twenties as it continued, the ages most exposed to both emigration and deaths in the fighting, although the chart alone cannot separate the two effects. From the forties upward women outnumber men, with 98 men per 100 women at 40–44 and 93 at 50–54, a gap that widens with age.
A projection built on returns
The medium scenario assumes the flow reverses: net immigration of about 306,000 in 2026 and roughly 1.2 million over 2026–2050, which for Syria would mainly mean refugees coming home. Together with about 625,000 births in 2026, that gives a growth rate of about 3%, among the fastest-growing populations. Migration assumptions of this kind are far less certain than those for births and deaths, as the guide to population projections explains. Under this scenario the population reaches about 38 million in 2050 and peaks at about 44 million in 2086, while the war-time notch travels up to ages 30–34. Micronesia, Djibouti and Haiti have the most similar age structures in 2026.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–9 | 2017–2021 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −18% |
| 15–19 | 2007–2011 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +11% |
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2087. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2075.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Syria is projected to record 625,121 births (about one birth every 50 seconds) and 125,882 deaths, a natural increase of 499,239. Net migration adds +305,822 people, ranking #7 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 12,452,224 births, 2,522,606 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −2,186,980. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +1,156,941 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 75.9 years43.8 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 71.0 years41.3 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 15.4 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 13.3per 1,000 births · 151 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 18.4per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 28.8 yearssex ratio at birth 105.3
Women in Syria are projected to live 4.9 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 151 to 13.3 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #84 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 28.8 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Syria
The median age of 23.8 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 2.62 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,472,497 | #57 | Largest first |
| Median age | 23.8 years | #175 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 2.62 | #68 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +3.0% | #5 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 73.4 years | #143 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 5.0% | #171 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Syria
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15–19 | 2,986,065 | 11.3% | 1.5M / 1.5M |
| 2 | 20–24 | 2,978,517 | 11.3% | 1.5M / 1.5M |
| 3 | 0–4 | 2,808,776 | 10.6% | 1.4M / 1.4M |
| 4 | 25–29 | 2,784,283 | 10.5% | 1.4M / 1.4M |
| 5 | 10–14 | 2,424,329 | 9.2% | 1.2M / 1.2M |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Syria has 13,259,637 males and 13,212,860 females. That is 100.4 males per 100 females, ranking #72 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 50.1% of the population and females for 49.9%. There are 46,777 more males than females overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 79.0 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 105.3 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Syria has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 3,612,080 in 1950 to 26,472,497 in 2026, a change of 633%. Over the same span, median age moved from 19.2 to 23.8 years.
The under-15 share changed from 40.0% to 27.9%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 7.3% to 5.0%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Syria’s population is projected to grow by about 43%, reaching 37,793,372 in 2050. The median age changes from 23.8 to 32.1 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 4.3 percentage points to 9.3%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 22.3%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 44,149,497 in 2086. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3,612,080 | 19.2 | 7.62 | 42.5 | 164,865 | 96,112 | 0 | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 4,673,500 | 16.5 | 7.51 | 52.7 | 221,446 | 77,756 | 0 | +3.1% |
| 1970 | 6,380,609 | 14.8 | 7.62 | 60.6 | 296,415 | 66,303 | −19,594 | +3.3% |
| 1980 | 8,957,662 | 14.5 | 7.12 | 66.5 | 391,785 | 59,314 | −33,114 | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 12,579,208 | 15.4 | 5.56 | 69.8 | 469,089 | 59,918 | −6,620 | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 16,637,888 | 17.5 | 4.07 | 70.9 | 519,171 | 72,961 | −34,425 | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 22,482,421 | 20.7 | 3.35 | 73.5 | 644,639 | 85,980 | −54,359 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 21,049,429 | 20.4 | 2.84 | 71.9 | 434,463 | 106,459 | +269,050 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 23,594,623 | 22.2 | 2.71 | 72.1 | 521,601 | 118,900 | +757,309 | +4.9% |
| 2024* | 24,672,760 | 22.8 | 2.70 | 72.6 | 571,460 | 121,694 | +546,494 | +4.0% |
| 2026* | 26,472,497 | 23.8 | 2.62 | 73.4 | 625,121 | 125,882 | +305,822 | +3.0% |
| 2030* | 29,395,540 | 25.5 | 2.48 | 74.0 | 678,795 | 142,564 | +107,749 | +2.2% |
| 2040* | 34,533,185 | 29.3 | 2.22 | 75.6 | 584,133 | 182,613 | −4,393 | +1.1% |
| 2050* | 37,793,372 | 32.1 | 2.06 | 77.0 | 539,175 | 231,062 | +8,760 | +0.8% |
| 2060* | 40,823,977 | 34.0 | 1.95 | 78.5 | 582,363 | 286,365 | −15,958 | +0.7% |
| 2070* | 42,982,251 | 37.6 | 1.87 | 79.9 | 514,396 | 348,753 | −24,701 | +0.3% |
| 2080* | 43,889,937 | 40.8 | 1.82 | 81.4 | 474,672 | 426,856 | +49,387 | +0.2% |
| 2090* | 44,123,099 | 42.0 | 1.78 | 82.7 | 476,568 | 494,977 | −12,553 | -0.1% |
| 2100* | 43,686,647 | 43.3 | 1.76 | 84.0 | 434,129 | 487,840 | −11,460 | -0.1% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,437,748 | 1,371,028 | 2,808,776 | 10.6% |
| 5–9 | 1,101,133 | 1,052,518 | 2,153,651 | 8.1% |
| 10–14 | 1,242,129 | 1,182,200 | 2,424,329 | 9.2% |
| 15–19 | 1,526,412 | 1,459,653 | 2,986,065 | 11.3% |
| 20–24 | 1,509,452 | 1,469,065 | 2,978,517 | 11.3% |
| 25–29 | 1,410,060 | 1,374,223 | 2,784,283 | 10.5% |
| 30–34 | 1,006,229 | 965,180 | 1,971,409 | 7.4% |
| 35–39 | 792,917 | 773,101 | 1,566,018 | 5.9% |
| 40–44 | 711,970 | 726,895 | 1,438,865 | 5.4% |
| 45–49 | 633,302 | 664,481 | 1,297,783 | 4.9% |
| 50–54 | 533,192 | 572,246 | 1,105,438 | 4.2% |
| 55–59 | 438,065 | 483,551 | 921,616 | 3.5% |
| 60–64 | 338,469 | 386,712 | 725,181 | 2.7% |
| 65–69 | 246,550 | 293,620 | 540,170 | 2.0% |
| 70–74 | 166,808 | 209,192 | 376,000 | 1.4% |
| 75–79 | 100,041 | 128,935 | 228,976 | 0.9% |
| 80–84 | 45,980 | 63,700 | 109,680 | 0.4% |
| 85–89 | 15,541 | 27,287 | 42,828 | 0.2% |
| 90–94 | 3,253 | 7,968 | 11,221 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 371 | 1,235 | 1,606 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 14 | 68 | 82 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Syria’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Micronesia94% overlap · median age 23.5
- Djibouti94% overlap · median age 25.2
- Haiti94% overlap · median age 24.3
- Honduras94% overlap · median age 24.6
- Timor-Leste94% overlap · median age 22.1
- Guatemala94% overlap · median age 23.8
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Syria.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Syria Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/syria/
MLA
“Syria Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/syria/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Syria Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/syria/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Syria in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Syria's population in 2026 is projected at 26,472,497.
What is the median age in Syria?
The projected median age in Syria in 2026 is 23.8 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Syria?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 2.62 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Syria's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 43%, from 26.5M to 37.8M.
What share of Syria is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 5.0% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 9.3%.
How many babies are born in Syria each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 625,121 births and 125,882 deaths in 2026, about one birth every 50 seconds. Births exceed deaths by 499,239.
What is life expectancy in Syria for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 75.9 years for women and 71.0 years for men, a gap of 4.9 years in favour of women.
Does Syria have more immigrants or emigrants?
Syria is projected to gain about 305,822 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −2,186,980.
What is the sex ratio in Syria?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 100.4 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.