Syria is a middle-income developing country which has been ravished over the last 9 years by civil war. Because of the war and the mass number of civilian refugees and internally displaced persons, it is nearly impossible to calculate the current demographics within the country. Most of the information I have been able to gather is based on pre-2011 data.
Religious beliefs are often closely connected to individuals’ ethnic identities in Syria. About 75% of the population is Sunni Muslim (BBC, 2011). The remaining 25% is split between Christians, Alawites, Druze and Ismailis. There are also groups of Gypsy peoples, such as the Bedouin and Roma. Additionally, prior to the war, refugees from Iraq and Palestine and migrants from Lebanon, Armenia, and Israel, resided in Syria, though most have now left (Minority Rights Group International, 2011).
The Kurds comprise the largest ethnic minority with 10-15% of the population (BBC, 2011), and are concentrated around Northern and Northeastern Syria. Many Kurds were marginalized in Turkey and Iraq and so had moved into Syria prior to the civil war. However, with the civil war, many Kurds accused the Syrian government of discrimination and refusing them basic social, political, and cultural rights. Kurdish protestors can expect to be jailed, and their political party is banned.
Alawites are Shia Muslim, and are the largest religious minority in Syria, accounting for 8-15% of the population (BBC, 2011). Despite being a minority, they control the most power. President Bashar ad-Assad is Alawite, and most of his top government officials are also. Despite this, the Alawite community as a whole has been taken advantage of because of this, being coerced into being “thugs” which are used to intimidate, beat, and kill protestors of the regime.
Syrian Christians observe the Greek Catholic and Greek Orthodox denominations and have most of their populations focused in the major cities (BBC, 2011). Christians in Syria, despite being a significant minority, have a high amount of religious tolerance, worshiping freely and holding some high positions in government. Christians in Syria have mostly not been active in the protests, out of fear that the Islamic government would deny them religious freedom. They have been more visible in support of the regime.
Ismailis are made up of about 200,000 people in Syria and are a branch of Shia Muslim with about 15 million followers worldwide (BBC, 2011). They are most concentrated around the city of Salamia. They reportedly fall on both sides of the civil war – some pro-regime, and others against it.
The Druze reside mostly in Southern Syria, and number between 500,000 – 700,000 (BBC, 2011). They follow a religion based on Ismailism. The Druze have a history of being revolutionaries, and a major Lebanese Druze leader scolded the community for not being more active in the protests in Syria. This was countered by the government regime actively seeking their support.
Syrian Gypsies are much harder to calculate their population, as some are nomadic, but are estimated to number around 250,000 – 300,000 (Williams, 2001). They consist of Bedouin peoples, who traditionally are nomadic herders, whose religious beliefs are a mix of pre-Islamic indigenous beliefs and modern Islam. Roma, Nawari, and Dom are other Syrian Gypsy groups.
The primary languages spoken in Syria include Arabic (the official language), Kurdish (Kimanji dialect, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, and Turkish (Minority Rights Group International, 2011). The CIA World Factbook lists the following estimated population spread of Syria as of 2017:
0-14 years: 31.62% (male 2,923,814/female 2,777,073)
15-24 years: 19.54% (male 1,790,360/female 1,732,694)
25-54 years: 39.22% (male 3,522,653/female 3,547,540)
55-64 years: 5.41% (male 482,576/female 493,085)
65 years and over: 4.21% (male 342,407/female 416,347
The economy has declined by about 70% since the onset of the war in 2011 (CIA World Factbook, 2017). More than half the population live in poverty, and a quarter live in extreme poverty, and an unemployment rate of nearly 50%, as of 2013 (Syrian Centre for Policy Research, 2013). Services have become extremely limited, with schools and healthcare facilities being targets of bombing by the government.
Human rights violations are a constant concern in Syria. Working as an international psychologist, the challenges to help Syria are many and complex. The priority would be finding a way to have the government end the civil war and the attacks on civilians. Following this, infrastructure within the country will need to be rebuilt. Addressing the mental health concerns, including war trauma, for residents as well as refugees is also of a high priority.
References
BBC. (December 9, 2011). Guide: Syria’s diverse minorities. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-16108755
CIA World Factbook. (2017). Syria. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sy.html
Minority Rights Group International. (October, 2011). World directory of minorities and indigenous peoples – Syria. UNHCR. Retrieved from http://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce5ac.html
Syrian Centre for Policy Research. (October, 2013). Syria: War on development: socioeconomic monitoring report of Syria, second quarterly report (April – June 2013). United Nations Development Program. Retrieved from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/crisis-prevention-and-recovery/syria-war-on-development–socioeconomic-monitoring-report-of-syr.html
Williams, A. (2001). The Gypsies of Syria. Dom Research Center, 1(4). Retrieved from http://www.domresearchcenter.com/journal/14/syria4.html