Economy - overview:
Syria's economy continues to deteriorate amid the ongoing conflict that began in 2011, declining by 62% from 2010 to 2014. The government has struggled to address the effects of international sanctions, widespread infrastructure damage, diminished domestic consumption and production, reduced subsidies, and high inflation, which have caused dwindling foreign exchange reserves, rising budget and trade deficits, a decreasing value of the Syrian pound, and falling household purchasing power.During 2014, the ongoing conflict and continued unrest and economic decline worsened the humanitarian crisis and elicited a greater need for international assistance, as the number of people in need inside Syria increased from 9.3 million to 12.2 million, and the number of Syrian refugees increased from 2.2 million to more than 3.3 million.Prior to the turmoil, Damascus had begun liberalizing economic policies, including cutting lending interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating multiple exchange rates, raising prices on some subsidized items, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange, but the economy remains highly regulated. Long-run economic constraints include foreign trade barriers, declining oil production, high unemployment, rising budget deficits, increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, water pollution, and widespread infrastructure damage.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$55.8 billion (2011 est.) $61.9 billion (2010 est.) $97.5 billion (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars the war driven deterioration of the economy resulted in a disappearance of quality national level statistics in 2012-13
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$24.6 billion (2011 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
NA% -9.9% (2012 est.) -36.5% (2011 est.) -30.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,100 (2011 est.) $5,100 (2010 est.) $5,200 (2010 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 167
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
NA (2015 est.) -16.7% of GDP (2014 est.) NA (2013 est.)
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 100.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 28.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 10.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 18.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -60.8% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 19.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 18.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 61.6% (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly

Industrial production growth rate:
-4.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
3.798 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 17%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 16%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 67% (2008 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
57.7% (2015 est.) 49.7% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
82.5% (2006 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $3.9 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $5.7 billion
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]
note: government projections for FY2016

Taxes and other revenues:
15.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-7.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
57.2% of GDP (2015 est.) 51.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
33.6% (2015 est.) 29.2% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 223
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
0.75% (31 December 2015) 5% (31 December 2014)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.5% (31 December 2015 est.) 17% (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$4.009 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $5.536 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$11.05 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $12.71 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$4.009 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $6.119 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$3.148 billion (2015 est.) -$3.667 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$1.849 billion (2015 est.) $3.015 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

Exports - partners:
Iraq 63.8%, Saudi Arabia 11.1%, Kuwait 7%, UAE 6%, Libya 4.5% (2014)

Imports:
$6.557 billion (2015 est.) $8.028 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper

Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 24.5%, UAE 12%, Turkey 10%, Iran 8.9%, Iraq 7.3%, China 5.5% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$967.6 million (31 December 2015 est.) $1.428 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$5.812 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $4.753 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 234.5 (2015 est.) 153.7 (2014 est.) 153.7 (2013 est.) 64.39 (2012 est.) 48.37 (2011 est.)