Syria after Assad: A year in numbers

To look forward in Syria, it is important to look back at the scale of damage left behind by the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad. For all the talk about huge investment pledges and rapid policy changes, the data shows the country is clawing its way along the long road to recovery.

People

The civil war raged for nearly 14 years and displaced more than 13 million people. At least 6.1 million Syrian refugees fled to live in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and beyond. Israel's attacks on Lebanon and the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 led many people to return to Syria.

The intensity of strikes and fighting in cities such as Aleppo and Homs led to significant changes across the country; major urban areas became more sparsely populated. People were internally displaced, finding new homes in other parts of the country or creating new settlements on the periphery.

According to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of internally displaced people reached its highest mark at 7.6 million in 2014, three years after the start of the war. The figure remains consistent with the current estimate of 7.4 million displaced people for 2025.

However, many who initially fled the violence seem to believe it is safe to return. Since the fall of Mr Al Assad, more than one million refugees have returned, the majority travelling to Damascus, Aleppo and Idlib.

Economy

Syria’s GDP fell by about 1.5 per cent in 2024, after more than a decade of contraction and brutal war.