Iran vs Syria
Iran vs Syria: GDP growth
GDP growth: -0.9% a year in Iran in 2025 and 3.4% a year in Syria in 2010, by IMF estimates. In 2010 the value was higher in Iran, by 2.4 percentage points, or 1.69 times that in Syria.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher since 2010, when it overtook Syria.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iran at 2% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Iran | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -0.9 | – |
| 2024 | 3.7 | – |
| 2023 | 5.3 | – |
| 2022 | 4.4 | – |
| 2021 | 4.1 | – |
| 2020 | 4.4 | – |
| 2019 | -2.4 | – |
| 2018 | -3.7 | – |
| 2017 | 3 | – |
| 2016 | 6.5 | – |
| 2015 | -1.4 | – |
| 2014 | 5 | – |
| 2013 | -1.5 | – |
| 2012 | -3.7 | – |
| 2011 | 5.7 | – |
| 2010 | 5.8 | 3.4 |
| 2009 | 1 | 5.9 |
| 2008 | 0.3 | 4.5 |
| 2007 | 8.2 | 5.7 |
| 2006 | 5 | 5 |
| 2005 | 3.2 | 6.2 |
| 2004 | 4.3 | 6.9 |
| 2003 | 8.6 | -2 |
| 2002 | 8.1 | 5.9 |
| 2001 | 2.4 | 3.7 |
| 2000 | 5.8 | 2.3 |
| 1999 | 2 | -3.1 |
| 1998 | 2.1 | 5.6 |
| 1997 | 1.4 | -1.1 |
| 1996 | 6.4 | 3 |
| 1995 | 2.4 | 5.4 |
| 1994 | -1.7 | 5.5 |
| 1993 | -1.5 | 7.4 |
| 1992 | 3.3 | 13.3 |
| 1991 | 12.7 | 10.7 |
| 1990 | 13.6 | 10.4 |
| 1989 | 6.1 | -6.1 |
| 1988 | -6.1 | 12.7 |
| 1987 | -0.2 | 1.3 |
| 1986 | -9.8 | -4.8 |
| 1985 | 1.9 | 7.3 |
| 1984 | -7.1 | -6.5 |
| 1983 | 11.1 | 1.6 |
| 1982 | 23.2 | 2.6 |
| 1981 | -5.7 | 8.5 |
| 1980 | -21.6 | 10.5 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Iran | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -7.6 | – |
| 2027 | 3.6 | – |
| 2028 | 1.5 | – |
| 2029 | 1.8 | – |
| 2030 | 2 | – |
| 2031 | 2 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Iran vs Syria
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023Syria: 72.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024Syria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Syria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017Syria: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Syria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023Syria: 23.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023Syria: 4.92% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023Syria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025Syria: 72.1% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023Syria: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023Syria: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Syria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025Syria: 4.06% of GDP in 2010
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025Syria: $110 in 2011
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025Syria: 13.6% of government spending in 2010
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020Syria: 269,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022Syria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020Syria: 5.44% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024Syria: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025Syria: 30 million TIV in 2010