MigrantoSyrian Diaspora
8.9M Syrians live abroad — the #6 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 67% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Turkey | 3563983 |
| Jordan | 1593643 |
| Germany | 860697 |
| Lebanon | 784884 |
| Saudi Arabia | 496044 |
| Iraq | 258068 |
| Sweden | 243388 |
| Egypt | 156146 |
| Netherlands | 153160 |
| Canada | 125767 |
| Austria | 90968 |
| France | 60670 |
| Belgium | 50068 |
| UAE | 49529 |
| Libya | 46987 |
| Greece | 45531 |
| Australia | 37008 |
| Norway | 34690 |
| Denmark | 34528 |
| Switzerland | 29396 |
| Qatar | 25981 |
| Kuwait | 24742 |
| Bulgaria | 24543 |
| Venezuela | 14059 |
| Cyprus | 12150 |
| Israel | 10778 |
| Italy | 8712 |
| Brazil | 8237 |
| Algeria | 8038 |
| Finland | 7325 |
| Armenia | 6993 |
| Palestine | 5725 |
| Malta | 5635 |
| Bahrain | 4984 |
| Russia | 4697 |
| Romania | 4280 |
| Yemen | 4074 |
| Morocco | 3989 |
| Ukraine | 3832 |
| Hungary | 3177 |
| Malaysia | 2759 |
| Luxembourg | 2124 |
| Czech Republic | 1713 |
| Tunisia | 1452 |
| Japan | 1451 |
| Argentina | 1338 |
| China | 1147 |
| Poland | 1142 |
| Ethiopia | 679 |
| Mauritania | 651 |
| Chile | 644 |
| Portugal | 597 |
| Panama | 502 |
| Lithuania | 454 |
| Iceland | 423 |
| Moldova | 359 |
| Mexico | 327 |
| Slovakia | 314 |
| Ecuador | 283 |
| Slovenia | 280 |
| Guadeloupe | 268 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 263 |
| Estonia | 177 |
| Martinique | 171 |
| Croatia | 159 |
| Saint Lucia | 126 |
| Serbia | 119 |
| Guatemala | 91 |
| Belarus | 79 |
| Sri Lanka | 73 |
| Ghana | 65 |
| Latvia | 58 |
| Liechtenstein | 34 |
| Gabon | 29 |
| Dominican Republic | 27 |
| Costa Rica | 16 |
| Dominica | 15 |
| Guinea | 6 |
| Bolivia | 2 |
By destination region
Middle East is the leading destination region at 77%
6.8M
1.7M
218K
125.8K
37K
26.4K
5.4K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Syria.
Netherlands is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to the Netherlands has increased by 472% since 2015, rising from 26.8K to 153.2K in 9 years.
Turkey is the primary destination for emigrants
Turkey attracts 40% of all emigrants from Syria, while the second-largest destination receives just 18%.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
8 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Lebanon, Egypt, Netherlands — Lebanon rose from outside the top 20 to rank #4.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 3 residents of Syria has emigrated — 8.9M out of 24.7M, representing 36.2% of the population.
Emigration has become more concentrated over time
The top destination's share rose from 25% to 40%, with Turkey increasingly the primary choice.
The share of emigrants going to the Middle East has grown since 1990
The share of emigrants going to the Middle East has shifted from 56.4% to 76.6% since 1990.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 296211 |
| 1995 | 342460 |
| 2000 | 382108 |
| 2005 | 547473 |
| 2010 | 1265925 |
| 2015 | 5981460 |
| 2020 | 8652202 |
| 2024 | 8927523 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Turkey | Jordan | Germany | Lebanon | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5234 | 29096 | 20052 | 0 | 73889 |
| 1995 | 5339 | 32266 | 27420 | 0 | 98128 |
| 2000 | 5357 | 35436 | 35902 | 0 | 106039 |
| 2005 | 25453 | 120637 | 39393 | 0 | 137460 |
| 2010 | 46891 | 669685 | 41261 | 198 | 246106 |
| 2015 | 2102261 | 1218732 | 203711 | 1105309 | 446037 |
| 2020 | 3830526 | 1440562 | 687147 | 887943 | 456607 |
| 2024 | 3563983 | 1593643 | 860697 | 784884 | 496044 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Syria as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Syria
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Syrians move to?
Most Syrians have moved to Turkey, Jordan and Germany — these three countries account for about 67% of all Syrians living abroad.
How many Syrians live abroad?
Around 8.9M Syrians live abroad, making it the #6-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Syria lives abroad?
About 36% of the population of Syria lives abroad — that's 8.9M out of a total population of 24.7M.
How has emigration from Syria changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Syria has grown from 6M to 8.9M people, a growth of about 49%.
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Living in Syria
See the full country overview