Syria--People

CIA FactbookThe World Factbook 1993: Syria People

Population: 14,338,527 (July 1993 est.)

note: in addition, there are at least 14,500 Druze and 14,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (1993 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.76% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 44.08 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 43.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.12 years male: 65.07 years female: 67.22 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.75 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality: noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian

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

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

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 64% male: 78% female: 51%

Labor force: 2.951 million (1989)

by occupation: miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%; note - shortage of skilled labor (1984)