MigrantoSyrian Diaspora
8.9M Syrians live abroad — 36% of the population of Syria
Syrian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 67% of the diaspora
| 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 region
77% of the diaspora lives in the Middle East
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Key facts
The Syrian diaspora in numbers
The community in the Netherlands is growing fastest
The number of Syrians living in the Netherlands has grown 472% since 2015, from 26.8K to 153.2K.
Most Syrians abroad live in Turkey
40% of the diaspora lives in Turkey, while the next country accounts for just 18%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
8 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Lebanon, Egypt, Netherlands. Lebanon climbed from outside the top 20 to #4.
1 in 3 people born in Syria lives abroad
8.9M people born in Syria now live in other countries — 36.2% of a population of 24.7M.
The diaspora is more concentrated than in 1990
The largest country's share rose from 25% to 40%, and today that country is Turkey.
The share of the diaspora living in the Middle East has grown since 1990
56.4% of the diaspora lived in the Middle East in 1990, compared with 76.6% today.
Syrian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 296211 |
| 1995 | 342460 |
| 2000 | 382108 |
| 2005 | 547473 |
| 2010 | 1265925 |
| 2015 | 5981460 |
| 2020 | 8652202 |
| 2024 | 8927523 |
Largest communities over time
Syrians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| 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 communities
How the number of Syrians in each country has changed since the selected year
Syrians among immigrants in other countries
Where Syrians make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Syrians live outside Syria?
Around 8.9M Syrians live abroad, the world's #6 largest diaspora.
Where do most Syrians abroad live?
Most Syrians live in Turkey, Jordan and Germany — these three countries account for about 67% of all Syrians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Syrian population outside Syria?
Turkey is home to the largest Syrian community abroad — 3.6M people, about 40% of all Syrians living abroad.
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.
Is the Syrian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Syrians living abroad has grown from 6M to 8.9M, about 49%.
Where does the data on the Syrian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Syria who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
Score countries, regions and cities by what matters to you
Living in Syria
See the full country overview