Syria

Syria: an outright decline in dollar terms, 1980–2022

Syria's state-led economy grew modestly on oil and agriculture until civil war erupted in 2011, after which output collapsed by more than half and millions fled the country; the fall of the Assad government in December 2024 opened a new and uncertain phase. Between 1980 and 2022, Syria's GDP per capita grew from $1,458 to $1,052 (current US$), a compound annual growth rate of -0.8% — an outright decline in dollar terms. Annual GDP growth averaged 1.8% with a year-to-year standard deviation of 8.8 points, reflecting considerable volatility and periodic crises. Structurally, agriculture's share of the economy moved from 20.9% to 43.1% of GDP (a notable increase), while services rose from 56.5% to 44.9% of GDP, a comparatively unusual pattern for this period. On human development, life expectancy rose from 66.5 to 72.6 years, while tertiary school enrollment moved from 14.3% to 43.8%, while the urban population share grew from 46.7% to 72.1%.

What this growth cost: Growth was not without cost: per-capita CO2 emissions fell from 1.60 to 1.27 tonnes CO2e per person; income inequality (Gini index) narrowed from 35.2 to 26.4; the poverty headcount ratio increased from 1.2% to 18.0%.