Rural population in Syria
Syria: Rural population was 42.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
42.0%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
86th
of 214 countries
All-time high
56.7%
in 1970
All-time low
42.0%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Syria, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Syria is 42.0%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Syria peaked at 56.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 42.0%, in 2024.
Syria ranks 86th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Syria, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 56.7% | — |
| 1971 | 56.2% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 55.9% | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 55.6% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 55.3% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 54.9% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 54.6% | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 54.3% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 54.0% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 53.6% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 53.3% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 53.0% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 52.7% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 52.5% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 52.3% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 52.1% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 51.9% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 51.7% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 51.5% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 51.3% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 51.1% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 50.9% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 50.7% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 50.4% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 50.2% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 49.9% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 49.5% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 49.2% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 48.8% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 48.4% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 48.1% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 47.7% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 47.3% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 47.0% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 46.6% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 46.2% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 45.9% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 45.5% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 45.1% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 44.8% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 44.4% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 45.4% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 46.4% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 47.5% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 48.5% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 47.2% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 46.5% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 45.8% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 45.2% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 44.5% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 43.9% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 43.2% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 42.6% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 42.0% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 55.1% | 53.6% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.2% | 51.3% | 53.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.9% | 48.4% | 51.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.4% | 44.8% | 48.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.5% | 44.4% | 48.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.2% | 42.0% | 44.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 83 Serbia 42.6% compare
- 84 Jamaica 42.2% compare
- 85 Azerbaijan 42.0% compare
- 87 Kazakhstan 41.6% compare
- 88 Kiribati 41.6% compare
- 89 Mauritania 41.5% 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)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 237.91 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.22 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.1% (2100)
- Total population (thousands), annual growth rate 4.12 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Syria?
- Rural population in Syria was 42.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 56.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.0% in 2024.
- How does Syria rank for rural population?
- Syria ranks 86th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Syria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release