As of June 2026, the population of Syria is 26.4 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 970 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 3.97%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 18.2 years in 2016 to 23.9 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 72.9 years and population density is 143.9 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The population growth rate of Syria peaked in 2007, reaching around 6.54% annually, but has since declined to approximately 3.67% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 1.35 million in 2007 to nearly 969.57 thousand in 2026.
In Syria, life expectancy at birth has remained stable over the last 20 years, hovering around 73 years since 2006.
Syria has several cities considered medium-sized by their number of inhabitants, but there are also some large ones. The most populous city is Aleppo, with approximately 2.1 million inhabitants. It is followed by Damascus, Damascus Governorate with 1.6 million and Homs with 775.4 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Syria:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleppo | 2,098,210 |
| 2 | Damascus, Damascus Governorate | 1,569,394 |
| 3 | Homs | 775,404 |
| 4 | Latakia | 709,000 |
| 5 | Ar Raqqah, Raqqa | 531,952 |
| 6 | Ḩamāh, Hama | 460,602 |
| 7 | Ţarţūs, Tartus | 458,327 |
| 8 | Al Ḩasakah, Al-Hasakah | 422,445 |
| 9 | Deir ez-Zor | 271,800 |
| 10 | Al Qāmishlī, Al-Hasakah | 184,231 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Al Bāb, Aleppo | 130,745 |
| 12 | Idlib | 128,840 |
| 13 | Dūmā, Rif-dimashq | 111,864 |
| 14 | al-Yarmūk, Damascus Governorate | 99,999 |
| 15 | Jaramānā, Rif-dimashq | 99,999 |
| 16 | Manbij, Aleppo | 99,497 |
| 17 | Dar‘ā, Daraa | 97,969 |
| 18 | As Salamīyah, Hama | 94,887 |
| 19 | Al-Tabqa, Raqqa | 87,880 |
| 20 | Dārayyā, Rif-dimashq | 71,596 |