The population of Syria: dynamics, current situation, religious preferences, language groups, the impact of civil war

Back in 2011, the population of Syria exceeded 20 million people. Then in the country there were many refugees from Palestine and Iraq. Civil war forced the indigenous Syrians themselves to seek shelter in other states. In recent years, the population has declined by several million people. The outflow of residents due to the civil war continues in 2016, albeit not at such a rapid pace.

The population of Syria in dynamics

In 1950, there were 3.413 million people in the country. By the beginning of the 1970s, the number of Syrian population had almost doubled. During this period it was 6.379 million. Over the next twenty years, the population of Syria doubled again. In 1990, it reached 12.452 million people. The maximum population was recorded in Syria in 2010. Then the country was home to 20.721 million people. Over the following years, this indicator has significantly decreased. The reason for the demographic failure is civil war. According to data for 2015, the population of Syria is 18.502 people.

Current situation

In 2016, the population of Syria is 18.592 million people. This is only preliminary data. Experts say that the outflow of residents from the country continues. The population of Syria is 0.25% of the world population. In terms of population, the state ranks 61 among all countries and territories. The area of the republic is 70895 square meters.

Most of the population of Syria is urban. In rural areas, according to data for 2016, only 31.6% of the total number is accounted for. The population density is 101 people per square meter. The average age of the Syrians is 21.2 years. The literacy rate for women is 73.6%, for men - 86%. Education in Syria is compulsory and free. However, the school must attend children only from six to eleven.

Distribution

Most of the country's population lives in the province of Aleppo. It is the territory of the Euphrates valley - a piece of fertile land between the coastal mountains and the desert. In the province of Aleppo live about 60% of the total population of Syria. The largest city is the capital of Damascus. Almost two million people live in it.

The administrative-territorial division of Syria is represented by 14 governorates. Sometimes they are also called provinces. The heads of these administrative-territorial units are appointed by the Minister of the Interior of Syria after they are approved by the Cabinet. Each governorate has its own elected parliament. The province of Kuneitra has been annexed by Israel since 1981. Between it and Syria is the demilitarized zone, which is administered by the UN.

Damascus is the second largest population in the governorate. It is home to, according to 2011, 2.836 million people. The largest population density is observed in the capital - 14864 people per square meter. More than one million live in such governorates as Homs, Hama, Idlib, Deir ez Zor, Daria and Latakia. The smallest is the occupied El Quneitra. In it lives, according to data for 2011, only 90 thousand people.

Religion

Several population censuses took place in Syria, the last one took place in 2004. However, since 1960, they did not include the issue of religious beliefs. Then 91.2% of Syrians were Muslims, 7.8% - Christians, 0.1% - Jews. Most of the population are representatives of the Sunni direction. Christians mainly live in Damascus, Allepo, Homs and other major cities. According to unofficial estimates, about 90% of Syrians are now Muslims. It is believed that their share is growing. This is due to the fact that the indicator of the level of emigration among representatives of other religions is traditionally higher.

Language groups

Most of the population speaks Arabic. It is the official language of Syria. It is spoken by 85% of the population, which includes 500 thousand Palestinians. Many educated Syrians also speak English and French.

Kurds make up about 9% of the population. They live in the north-east of the country and on the border with Turkey. They are the dominant group in the population of the Afrin district, which is located west of Aleppo, and speak Kurdish. Armenians and Turks use their native languages in everyday communication. A small part of the population speaks Neo-Aramaic. In Syria, also lives about 1500 Greeks. They usually retain their native language in everyday communication.

The impact of civil war

If we talk about how many people in Syria now, then we must necessarily take into account the recent demographic failure. It is connected with the civil war that is going on in the country. Over the past five years, the population of Syria has decreased by five million people. Most of them emigrated to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Germany. Before the civil war, the expected life expectancy of the Syrians at birth was about 75.9 years. However, now this figure has fallen significantly. Now life expectancy at birth is only 55.7 years.