Economy of Syria

Economy of Syria
	Bank Al-Sharq and the Blue Tower Hotel in Damascus, 2010
Currency	Syrian pound (SYP)
Fiscal year	Calendar year
Trade organisations	CAEU, GAFTA, G24, G77, World Bank, IMF
Country group	Developing/Emerging; Lower-middle income economy; Lower income economy;
Statistics
Population	26,019,711
GDP	$23.62 billion (nominal; 2022 est.); $107.2 billion (PPP; 2022 est.);
GDP rank	117th (nominal, 2022); 99th (PPP, 2022);
GDP growth	1.4% (2019)
GDP per capita	$4,772 (PPP; 2022)
GDP by sector	agriculture: 10.49%; industry: 26.51%; services: 63.0%; (2017 est.);
Inflation (CPI)	15.8% (2025 est.)
Population below poverty line	82.5% (2014 est.)
Human Development Index	0.564 medium (2023) (159th); N/A IHDI (2022);
Labour force	6,142,683 (2021)
Labour force by occupation	agriculture: 17%; industry: 16%; services: 67% (2008 est.);
Unemployment	50% (2021)
Main industries	Petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, car assembly
External
Exports	$1.11 billion (2024)
Export goods	olive oil, spices, barley, nuts, cotton, tomatoes, soap, phosphates, cumin seeds, pistachios, glass, cleaning products, apples, pears, potatoes, and some pitted fruits (2024)
Main export partners	Saudi Arabia 30.9%; Turkey 18.1%; Lebanon 12.2%; Jordan 6.88%; Egypt 5.35%; UAE 4.83%; Kuwait 4.27%; Germany 2.02%; Serbia 1.57% (2021);
Imports	$3.87 billion (2024)
Import goods	cigarettes, tobacco, raw sugar, motor vehicles, broadcasting equipment, wheat flours, sunflower oil, liquefied petroleum gas, associated petroleum gas, refined petroleum, coffee and rice (2024)
Main import partners	Turkey 45%; China 11.1%; UAE 10.6%; Egypt 6.56%; Jordan 2.71%; India 2.67%; Lebanon 2.47%; Saudi Arabia 1.65%; Italy 1.59%; Germany 1.07% (2021);
Gross external debt	$7 billion (2020 est.)
Public finances
Government debt	67% of GDP (2021 est.)
Foreign reserves	$401 million (1 March 2024 est.)
Revenues	$2.7 billion (2021 est.)
Expenses	$2.1 billion (2021 est.)
Economic aid	humanitarian aid $7.7 billion (2020 est.)
	All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

The economy of Syria is a developing economy. Primarily based on agriculture in the country's early years, deteriorated after the start of the Syrian civil war in March 2011.

In 2026, Syria's economy began a notable recovery, with gross domestic product projected to grow by nearly 10 percent, approximately double the rate of the previous year. The improvement has been attributed to the easing of sanctions, improved security conditions, and the return of skilled professionals to the country. Investment in infrastructure and the energy sector by regional partners has also contributed to the projected expansion.