Syria (Syrian Arab Republic)

Syria Syrian Arab Republic
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	172nd best
Capital	Damascus
Land Area	183 630km21
Location	Asia, The Mediterranean, The Middle East
Population	16.9m2
Life Expectancy	72.06yrs (2017)3
GNI	$4 192 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	SY, SYR, 7605
Internet Domain	.sy6
Currency	Pound (SYP)7
Telephone	+9638

1. Overview
2. Syria National and Social Development
3. Syria's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Syria's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Syria's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Syria's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Syria's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In May 2007 Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region, antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Since then demonstrations and unrest have spread to nearly every city in Syria, but the size and intensity of protests have fluctuated over time. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law and approving new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and force. However, the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD to step down, and the government's ongoing security operations to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity have led to extended violent clashes between government forces and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011, as the Arab League, EU, Turkey, and the United States have expanded economic sanctions against the regime. Lakhdar BRAHIMI, current Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, in October 2012 began meeting with regional heads of state to assist in brokering a cease-fire. In December 2012, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Unrest persists in 2013, and the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians has topped 70,000.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Due to a civil war that has dominated the news headlines and traumatised a nation, Syria has been off-limits for several years. But travellers to this gateway to the Middle East remember a time when Syria was famed for its culture and hospitality. At the time of writing, you can´t go: if you can, you shouldn't. Peaceful protests against the Assad regime that began in early 2011 have evolved into a chaotic and multi-faceted civil war spanning much of the country.

There´s violent conflict around Aleppo in the rebel-held north, Homs in central Syria and also around Damascus in the government stronghold of the south. Although organisations such as the UN and the Arab League have attempted to broker peace, events remain unpredictable.

As a result, how long this will continue is impossible to guess. When it ends, the wealth of historic sites, from Palmyra in the desert to the crusader castles like Crac des Chevaliers, within sight of the >!--VCCM_Mediterranean-->, will lure us back and the gracious hospitality of Syrians will warm us to their country.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Syria National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
147=	Zimbabwe	0.593
148	Angola	0.586
149	Myanmar	0.585
150	Syria	0.577
151	Cameroon	0.576
152	Kenya	0.575
153	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.571
154	Zambia	0.565
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
146	Tajikistan	$4 548
147	Kenya	$4 474
148	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	$4 461
149	Syria	$4 192
150	Cambodia	$4 079
151	Kiribati	$4 063
152	Sao Tome & Principe	$4 021
153	Papua New Guinea	$4 009
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
169	Cameroon	118.5
170	Burundi	119.0
171	Sierra Leone	119.8
172	Syria	120.1
173	Laos	120.4
174	Ethiopia	120.5
175	Niger	120.5
176	Nauru	120.6
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Syria's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Syria's population is predicted to rise to 27.86 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.70. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
65	Guatemala	17.2m
66	Ecuador	17.1m
67	Netherlands	17.1m
68	Syria	16.9m
69	Cambodia	16.2m
70	Senegal	15.9m
71	Chad	15.5m
72	Somalia	15.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
90	Belarus	72.4
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
93	Syria	72.1
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
122	Luxembourg	1.31
123=	Curaço	1.30
123=	Bermuda	1.30
125	Syria	2.70
126	Philippines	2.73
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
57	Gabon	08.5
58	Pakistan	08.6
59	Bahrain	08.7
60	Syria	09.0
61=	Djibouti	09.1
61=	Tajikistan	09.1
63	Equatorial Guinea	09.4
64=	Kiribati	09.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
78	Finland	6.2%
79	Marshall Islands	6.2%
80	Turkey	6.0%
81	Syria	5.5%
82	Thailand	5.2%
83	Hungary	5.2%
84	Palestine	5.2%
85	Argentina	4.9%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
121	Germany	4.3%
122	S. Korea	4.3%
123	Belgium	4.2%
124	Syria	4.2%
125	Burundi	4.2%
126	Panama	4.0%
127	Norway	3.8%
128	Bahrain	3.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#china #equality #freedom #gender_equality #honour_killings #human_rights #iran #morals #politics #prejudice #russia #syria #syria_human_rights #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
185	Myanmar	139.4
186	Congo, DR	141.0
187	Pakistan	141.3
188	Syria	142.4
189	Angola	143.0
190	Mauritania	144.3
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

Syria is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Syria does worse than average in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₀ (still good for Asia), opposing gender inequality₂₁, combatting modern slavery₂₂, its average Freedom in the World rating, freethought₂₃ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₄. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₆ (one of the worst in Asia) and in supporting press freedom₂₇ (amongst the worst in Asia). Studies have found that nearly one in four women have been beaten by their husbands₂₈, and, far too many communities in Syria permit and practice barbaric honour killings₂₈, which in almost all cases are done by families against female kin who are perceived to have challenged male dominance. The Syrian government has "conducted deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians", including "numerous chemical weapons attacks", with support of Russia and Iran₂₉. Together they have "withheld humanitarian aid, employed starvation as war tactic" and used torture on perceived enemies₂₉. Russia and China have been blocking and vetoing the United Nation's efforts to stem mass atrocities, and have prevented the International Criminal Court from starting direct investigations. Many non-state armed groups are also committing atrocities₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Syria

5. Syria's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #syria #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Japan	37.3
2	Singapore	41.1
3	S. Korea	50.5
	...
41	Myanmar	112.2
42	Tajikistan	112.4
43	Nepal	115.8
44	Syria	124.1
45	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	124.9
46	Pakistan	130.9
47	Iraq	132.9
48	Laos	135.1
49	Yemen	140.7
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
151	Guam	122.6
152	Gambia	122.7
153	Solomon Islands	122.9
154	Syria	124.1
155	Samoa	124.2
156	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	124.9
157	Zimbabwe	125.0
158=	Bolivia	125.4
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #syria

Syria is a pretty unhealthy country. Syria comes in the best 20 for its alcohol consumption rate₃₂. It does better than average in its average life expectancy₁₁. But that's it. Syria has problems. It does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃, its adolescent birth rate₃₄, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₅, its fertility rate₁₅ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₆. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₇ (the lowest in Asia) and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₈. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Syria improved by just +2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, significantly less than almost everywhere else in the world. In the 2010s, Syrian was one of only 12 countries that saw their life expectancy drop. Syria is amongst only 41 countries who have seen their fertility rate drop by more than 4 since the 1960s. Its peak fertility rate was 7.69 in 1970.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
90	Belarus	72.4
91	Bangladesh	72.4
92	Peru	72.4
93	Syria	72.1
94	Armenia	72.0
95	Libya	71.9
96	Bhutan	71.8
97	Bulgaria	71.8
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better32
Pos.		2016 Per Capita32
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
6	Yemen	0.1
7=	Afghanistan	0.2
7=	Saudi Arabia	0.2
9=	Syria	0.3
9=	Pakistan	0.3
11=	Kiribati	0.4
11=	Iraq	0.4
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
122	Luxembourg	1.31
123=	Curaço	1.30
123=	Bermuda	1.30
125	Syria	2.70
126	Philippines	2.73
127	Lithuania	1.27
128	Ukraine	1.27
129	Poland	1.26
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
85	Bolivia	85
86	Kyrgyzstan	86
87	Moldova	87
88	Syria	88
89	Azerbaijan	89
90	Uganda	90
91	Chile	91
92	Tunisia	92
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better35
Pos.		1976 %35
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
121	Peru	33.5
122	Netherlands	33.7
123	Albania	33.8
124	Syria	34.3
125	Ireland	34.5
126	Armenia	34.6
127	Austria	35.1
128	Turkey	35.2
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better39
Pos.		2022 %39
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
140	Ireland	30.8%
141	Lebanon	31.1%
142	Lithuania	31.1%
143	Syria	31.2%
144	Czechia	31.3%
145	Poland	31.4%
146	Dominica	31.5%
147	UAE	31.5%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better34
Pos.		2022 Per 100034
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
103	Trinidad & Tobago	37.7
104	Argentina	37.9
105	Dominica	37.9
106	Syria	38.1
107	Bulgaria	38.2
108	Kiribati	39.6
109	Azerbaijan	40.1
110	Pakistan	41.2
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better38
Pos.		Total Avg %38
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
195	Laos	70.0
196	Bolivia	69.9
197	Somalia	69.3
198	Syria	68.3
199	Gabon	67.4
200	Nigeria	65.8
201	Madagascar	65.5
202	Guinea	65.0
	Asia Avg	90.6
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better37
Pos.		2015 Avg %37
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
184	Haiti	65.7
185	Vanuatu	65.5
186	Guinea	63.3
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
190	Nigeria	50.0
191	Central African Rep.	49.4
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better36
Pos.		Total Per 100036
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
127	Azerbaijan	29.20
128	Iraq	29.99
129	Micronesia	30.24
130	Syria	30.62
131	Tajikistan	31.41
132	Bhutan	32.24
133	Bolivia	33.37
134	Guyana	33.43
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Syria was the worst of only four countries that saw its infant mortality rate worsen from the 2010s to the 2020s₃₆.

6. Syria's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #syria #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
16	Turkey	75.0
17	China	75.2
18	Afghanistan	75.7
19	Syria	77.4
20	Iran	79.0
21	UAE	81.8
22	Singapore	83.3
23	Georgia	83.6
24	S. Korea	84.0
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
80	Benin	76.5
81	Australia	76.6
82	Botswana	76.8
83	Syria	77.4
84	Congo, (Brazzaville)	77.6
85	Latvia	77.7
86	Egypt	78.0
87	Argentina	78.5
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Syria comes 83rd in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed using 21 data sets. Syria comes in the best 20 in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂. It does better than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃. Syria does worse than average when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of energy to GDP efficiency₄₅.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better45
Pos.		2022 Avg45
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
148	Singapore	2.06
149	Lebanon	2.06
150	Ukraine	2.11
151	Syria	2.12
152	Kyrgyzstan	2.20
153	Iran	2.24
154	Russia	2.25
155	Oman	2.28
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
119	Chad	55%
120	Ethiopia	55%
121	Ivory Coast	55%
122	Syria	54%
123	Namibia	54%
124	Algeria	54%
125	Dominican Rep.	54%
126	Tajikistan	54%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Syria was one of the 19 countries that signed the Basel Convention on its very first day.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
101	Palestine	27.5%
102	Saudi Arabia	27.2%
103	Belgium	26.9%
104	Syria	26.6%
105	Qatar	26.5%
106	Bahrain	26.3%
107	S. Africa	26.2%
108	Lithuania	25.6%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better43
Pos.		2021 kg43
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
29	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	17.2
30	Nepal	17.3
31	Solomon Islands	17.4
32	Syria	17.8
33	Yemen	17.8
34	Algeria	17.9
35	Iraq	18.3
36	Zambia	18.3
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Syria's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #metric #modernity #politics #syria #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Taiwan	25.4
2	S. Korea	25.5
3	Japan	26.8
	...
37	Oman	99.4
38	Maldives	109.6
39	Palestine	113.2
40	Syria	114.3
41	Iraq	114.3
42	Pakistan	116.8
43	Nepal	117.4
44	Bangladesh	120.0
45	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133.3
	Asia Avg	83.04
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
137	Togo	112.9
138	Guyana	113.1
139	Palestine	113.2
140	Syria	114.3
141	Iraq	114.3
142	Zimbabwe	114.4
143	Zambia	115.6
144	Pakistan	116.8
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₇. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₉

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
137	Papua New Guinea	137
138	Congo, DR	138
139	Ecuador	139
140	Syria	140
141	Mauritania	141
142	Nigeria	142
143	Mali	143
144	Congo, (Brazzaville)	144
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better50
Pos.		2025 %50
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
129=	Togo	90
129=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	90
129=	Tanzania	90
129=	Syria	90
129=	Swaziland	90
129=	Sudan	90
129=	Sri Lanka	90
129=	Sierra Leone	90
	Asia Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Syria officially adopted metric in 1934₅₁. Progression:

• 1960 (60%): Metric established officially; traditional units present.
• 1970 (75%): Commerce/education standardize metric.
• 1980 (85%): Metric dominant; informal legacy persists.
• 2000 (90%).
• 2025 (90%).

IQ Higher is better52
Pos.		200652
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
88=	Libya	83
88=	Tunisia	83
88=	Oman	83
88=	Syria	83
92=	India	82
92=	Bangladesh	82
92=	Lebanon	82
92=	Dominican Rep.	82
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #syria

At the start of the 2010s, Syria's expected duration of education was already below the global average, but in that decade it decreased it by 2.6 years, the largest reduction of any country in that decade. ₅₃

Secondary Education Higher is better54
Pos.		201854
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
122	Zambia	44.3%
123	El Salvador	42.8%
124	Namibia	41.1%
125	Syria	41.0%
126	Sao Tome & Principe	40.8%
127	Togo	40.5%
128	Laos	40.4%
129	Algeria	38.9%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better55
Pos.		2021 Years55
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
178	Tuvalu	9.4
179	Mauritania	9.4
180	Tanzania	9.2
181	Syria	9.2
182	Burkina Faso	9.1
183	Yemen	9.1
184	Senegal	9.0
185	Pakistan	8.7
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#politics #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better56
Pos.		201656
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
130	Cuba	32%
131	Micronesia	31%
132	Vanuatu	31%
133	Syria	30%
134	Sri Lanka	29%
135	Samoa	29%
136	Ghana	28%
137	Swaziland	28%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better57
Pos.		201257
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
40	Vietnam	73
41=	Ethiopia	75
41=	Myanmar	75
43	Uzbekistan	77
44	Syria	83
45	China	85
46	Cuba	86
47	Iran	90
	Asia Avg	56.6
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better58
Pos.		2017 Ratio58
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
133=	Morocco	0.0
133=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.0
133=	Honduras	0.0
133=	Syria	0.0
133=	Nicaragua	0.0
133=	Solomon Islands	0.0
133=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.0
133=	Sao Tome & Principe	0.0
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Syria's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #corruption #economics #extremism #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #internationalism #politics

Corruption Higher is better59
Pos.		2022 Points59
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
173=	Libya	17.0
173=	Haiti	17.0
173=	Burundi	17.0
176	Yemen	16.0
177	Venezuela	14.0
178=	S. Sudan	13.0
178=	Syria	13.0
180	Somalia	12.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Syria has a poor long-term record on corruption. Thoughout the 2010s, its score on the Corruption Perception Index declined drastically; it was amongst the 10 countries with the worse rise in perceived corruption that decade and on average in that decade was ranked 6th-worst.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
149	Zambia	149
150	Pakistan	150
151	Guinea-Bissau	151
152	Syria	152
153	Liberia	153
154	Venezuela	154
155	Yemen	155
156	Iraq	156
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better60
Pos.		Total Q60
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
188	Palestine	38.3
189	Nepal	38.0
190	Somalia	34.2
191	Yemen	33.3
192	Pakistan	32.0
193	Iraq	29.0
194	Syria	28.8
195	Afghanistan	26.3
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
144	St Vincent & Grenadines	144
145	Samoa	145
146	Jamaica	146
147	Syria	147
148	Iran	148
149	India	149
150	Cameroon	150
151	Suriname	151
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better61
Pos.		2023 Score61
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
156	Somalia	3.04
157	Ukraine	3.04
158	Russia	3.14
159	Congo, DR	3.21
160	S. Sudan	3.22
161	Syria	3.29
162	Yemen	3.35
163	Afghanistan	3.45
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
128	Montenegro	128
129	Dominican Rep.	129
130	Papua New Guinea	130
131	Syria	131
132	Belarus	132
133	Portugal	133
134	El Salvador	134
135	Macedonia	135
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
139	Mali	139
140	Haiti	140
141	Mongolia	141
142	Syria	142
143	Mauritania	143
144	Rwanda	144
145	Chad	145
146	Central African Rep.	146
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better62
Pos.		2019 Score62
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
143	Yemen	7.26
144	India	7.52
145	Somalia	7.80
146	Pakistan	7.89
147	Syria	8.01
148	Nigeria	8.60
149	Iraq	9.24
150	Afghanistan	9.60
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better63
Pos.		Total %63
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
81	Colombia	10.42%
82	Philippines	13.61%
83	Honduras	16.37%
84	Syria	16.47%
85	Kosovo	17.25%
86	Senegal	17.89%
87	Ivory Coast	20.90%
88	Gambia	22.00%
	Asia Avg	3.54%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better64
Pos.		201964
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
99	El Salvador	12.50
100	Suriname	12.80
101	Vietnam	12.90
102=	Syria	13.00
102=	Morocco	13.00
104=	Nicaragua	13.10
104=	Mongolia	13.10
106	Honduras	13.30
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better65
Pos.		2023 %65
1	Slovakia	24.1%66
2	Slovenia	24.3%66
3	Belarus	24.4%67
	...
8	Czechia	26.2%66
9=	Kyrgyzstan	26.4%68
9=	UAE	26.4%69
11=	Syria	26.6%68
11=	Azerbaijan	26.6%70
11=	Belgium	26.6%66
14	Tonga	27.1%66
15	Algeria	27.6%71
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Syria - only for 4 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better72
Pos.		2018 Severity72
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
34	Mexico	.025
35	S. Africa	.025
36	Indonesia	.028
37	Syria	.029
38	Tajikistan	.029
39	El Salvador	.032
40	Iraq	.033
41	Suriname	.041
	Asia Avg	.084
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₃:

	2010	2020
Muslim	89.5%	94.2%
Christian	8.59%	3.84%
Unaffiliated	1.93%	1.98%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Other	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Sunni Muslim (Islam - official) 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)₇₄.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?