Economy - overview:
Syria's economy has deeply deteriorated amid the ongoing conflict that began in 2011, declining by more than 70% from 2010 to 2017. The government has struggled to fully 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. In 2017, some economic indicators began to stabilize, including the exchange rate and inflation, but economic activity remains depressed and GDP almost certainly fell.During 2017, the ongoing conflict and continued unrest and economic decline worsened the humanitarian crisis, necessitating high levels of international assistance, as more than 13 million people remain in need inside Syria, and the number of registered Syrian refugees increased from 4.8 million to more than 5.4 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): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Exchange rates:
$50.28 billion (2015 est.)
$55.8 billion (2014 est.)
$61.9 billion (2013 est.)
notes: data are in 2015 US dollars
the war-driven deterioration of the economy resulted in a disappearance of quality national level statistics in the 2012-13 period
country comparison to the world: 110
$24.6 billion (2014 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
NA% (2017 est.)
-36.5% (2014 est.)
-30.9% (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 dollars
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$2,900 (2015 est.)
$3,300 (2014 est.)
$2,800 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 194
20.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
19.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
20.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 63.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 22.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 18.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 10.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 9.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -25.1% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 20%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 19.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 60.4% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, automobile assembly
4.4% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
3.767 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
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 ]
50% (2017 est.)
50% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
82.5% (2014 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $1.033 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $3.177 billion
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
note: government projections for FY2016 (2017 est.)
4.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-8.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
58.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
55.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
25.5% (2017 est.)
43.9% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
0.75% (31 December 2017)
5% (31 December 2016)
country comparison to the world: 130
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
33.3% (31 December 2017 est.)
32% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$5.795 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$4.488 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$6.696 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.522 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$6.816 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.993 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$2.123 billion (2017 est.)
-$2.077 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$1.786 billion (2017 est.)
$1.705 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Lebanon 34.6%, Jordan 11.6%, China 9.4%, Turkey 8.2%, Iraq 7.7%, Tunisia 4.9% (2016)
$5.649 billion (2017 est.)
$5.496 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Russia 22%, Turkey 20%, China 11.3% (2016)
$407.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$504.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$5.699 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.085 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar -
514.6 (2017 est.)
459.2 (2016 est.)
459.2 (2015 est.)
236.41 (2014 est.)
153.695 (2013 est.)