Government and power in Syria
Who leads Syria, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary republic under a transitional government since December 2024.
Who leads Syria?
- Head of state: Ahmad Al-Sharaa (President of the Syrian Arab Republic)
- Foreign minister: Asaad Al-Shaibani (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Syria score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 28 out of 100 in 2025, 174th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 37.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 21.5.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Syria score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 25 out of 100 in 2025, 191st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 23.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Syria score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 19.9 out of 100 in 2025, 184th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 50.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 26.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Syria score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 24.3 out of 100 in 2025, 188th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 47.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 29.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Syria score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 28.7 out of 100 in 2025, 187th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 52.2). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 31.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Syria score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 15.4 out of 100 in 2025, 190th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 37.9). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 17.1.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Syria's parliament?
Women held 4.9% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 174th highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Syria's ministers are women?
Women held 4.3% of ministerial posts in 2025, 178th highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of Syria?
Armed forces personnel numbered 269,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Syria's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 32.4 out of 100 in 2024, 184th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Syria use the internet?
33.8% of people used the internet in 2018.
Source: World Bank · saved copyGovernment below the national level
- Governorates (14): Governor appointed by the President (under both the old and transitional systems)
- Districts (mantiqa) and sub-districts (nahiya): Appointed district managers
- Cities, towns and villages: Under the 2011 law, councils elected for four years (last held in 2022); since 2025 many are run by councils or executive offices appointed by governors
How local power works in Syria
Places in Syria
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.