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.
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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