Syria's People | Syria People

Population: 18,448,752 note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.4% (male 3,556,795/female 3,350,267) 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 5,601,971/female 5,333,799) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 288,868/female 317,052) (2005 est.)

Median age: Total: 20.37 years male: 20.24 years female: 20.51 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2005 est.)

Death rate: 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: Total: 29.53 deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 29.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: Total population: 70.03 years male: 68.75 years female: 71.38 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: Less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: Less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: Less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality: Noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian

Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Languages: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

Literacy: Definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.9% male: 89.7% female: 64% (2003 est.)

---