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The People of Syria

Syrian People

Syria's map

Population: 20,178,485 note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2009 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.9% (male 3,724,770/female 3,510,182) 15-64 years: 60.8% (male 6,285,866/female 5,980,029) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 318,646/female 358,992) (2009 est.)

Median age: total: 21.7 years male: 21.6 years female: 21.9 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.129% (2009 est.)

Death rate: 4.68 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 25.87 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.13 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.19 years male: 69.8 years female: 72.68 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.12 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian

Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Languages: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.6% male: 86% female: 73.6% (2004 census)