Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Syria
Syria: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 72.12 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
72.12 years
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
133rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
73.54 years
in 2010
All-time low
60.61 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Syria, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Syria recorded 72.12 years for life expectancy at birth, total in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Syria peaked at 73.54 years in 2010 and was at its lowest, 60.61 years, in 1970.
That places Syria 133rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Syria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 60.61 years | — |
| 1971 | 61.33 years | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 61.97 years | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 60.83 years | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 63.44 years | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 64.19 years | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 64.84 years | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 65.4 years | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 65.93 years | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 66.24 years | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 66.55 years | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 64.6 years | -2.9% |
| 1982 | 60.84 years | -5.8% |
| 1983 | 67.35 years | +10.7% |
| 1984 | 67.72 years | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 68.05 years | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 68.42 years | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 68.8 years | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 69.17 years | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 69.49 years | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 69.83 years | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 70.08 years | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 70.24 years | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 70.31 years | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 70.3 years | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 70.21 years | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 70.16 years | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 70.16 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 70.24 years | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 70.51 years | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 70.86 years | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 71.3 years | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 71.74 years | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 72.19 years | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 72.49 years | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 72.8 years | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 73.04 years | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 73.26 years | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 73.37 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 73.5 years | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 73.54 years | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 72.26 years | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 66.21 years | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 65.15 years | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 65.49 years | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 63.27 years | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 65.19 years | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 65.65 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 67.37 years | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 70.97 years | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 71.94 years | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 72.42 years | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 72.79 years | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 72.12 years | -0.9% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 72.12 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 63.65 years, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Syria's 72.12 years is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 76.51 years, 94% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 63.48 years | 60.61 years | 66.24 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 67.1 years | 60.84 years | 69.49 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 70.2 years | 69.83 years | 70.51 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.45 years | 70.86 years | 73.5 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.51 years | 63.27 years | 73.54 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.32 years | 71.94 years | 72.79 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 130 Kyrgyzstan 72.25 years compare
- 131 Saint Kitts and Nevis 72.14 years compare
- 132 Mongolia 72.12 years compare
- 134 El Salvador 72.1 years compare
- 135 India 72 years compare
- 136 Tajikistan 71.79 years compare
More population data for Syria
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1531 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1531 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1293 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.149 (2100)
- Population density 237.91 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.22 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.149 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 0.0104 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Syria?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Syria was 72.12 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 73.54 years in 2010.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.61 years in 1970.
- How does Syria rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Syria ranks 133rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Syria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release