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Index / Peoples
  Syria /
Peoples
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| Ethnic groups |
Arabs
|
17,000 |
84.0% |
|
Syrians
|
14,600 |
72.0% |
|
Najdis
|
1,300 |
6.4% |
|
Palestinians
|
550 |
2.7% |
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Iraqis
|
400 |
2.0% |
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Bedouins
|
80 |
0.2% |
|
Lebanese
|
70 |
0.3% |
|
Jordanians
|
40 |
0.2% |
Kurds
|
2,000 |
9.9% |
Druze
|
300 |
1.5% |
Doms
|
250 |
1.3% |
Armenians
|
150 |
0.7% |
Turkmens
|
130 |
0.6% |
Assyrians
|
75 |
0.4% |
Aramaics
|
65 |
0.4% |
Turks
|
60 |
0.3% |
Ossetes
|
60 |
0.3% |
Circassians
|
45 |
0.2% |
Persians
|
20 |
0.1% |
Europeans
|
30 |
0.2% |
Population
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20,180
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Updated 2009
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Syria has a wider range of ethnic groups than most other Middle Eastern nations. The Arabs represent the largest group, but many in this group have their origin from people from other ethnic groups that have joined the Arabs through marriage and Arabization up through the centuries. They represent today between 65 and 85% of the total population of Syria.
The second largest group are the Bedouins, who often refer to themselves as Arabs, and who often do not lead their traditional nomadic and semi-nomadic lives anymore. They represent between 5 and 15% of the population.
The third largest group are the Kurds who live in the northeast of Syria, an area where they represent the majority. Their number is between 5 and 15% of the population of all of Syria.
The fourth largest group are Turks who live in the north near the border to Turkey. They represent between 1 and 5% of Syria's population. Other groups are the Armenians in the north (around 1%), Turkmens all over the country (less than 1%) and Assyrians all over the country (less than 1%) but more in the eastern regions.
© Copyright 1996-2009 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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