Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Syria instead of Burma, you would:
Health
live 5.5 years longer
In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
Burma has 7.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Syria has 15.2 as of 2021.
have 23.1% more access to essential health services
Burma scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Syria scores 64 as of 2021.
be 79.6% less likely to die by suicide
Burma has a suicide rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Syria, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.1 times more likely to be obese
In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 33.0% of people as of 2024.
see 56.8% less spent on your healthcare
Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Syria spends $122 as of 2023.
Economy
be 4.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Syria, that number is 13.6% as of 2025.
be 3.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Burma, 24.8% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Syria, however, that number is 82.5% as of 2014.
make 29.0% less money
Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $1,057 as of 2022.
Life
be 89.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burma, approximately 185.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Syria, 20.0 women do as of 2023.
be 46.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Burma, approximately 32.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Syria, on the other hand, 17.7 children do as of 2024.
have 40.7% more children
In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 15.1% more likely to have access to electricity
In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Syria, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 39.2% less on healthcare
Burma spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Syria, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 90.0% less coastline
Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In Syria, that number is 193 km.
Safety
be 54.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burma, road accidents kill 19.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Syria, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.4 times more home broadband
Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Syria has 6.9 as of 2023.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Syria uses 854 kWh as of 2023.
live with 21.4 times more strain on fresh water
Burma withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Syria withdraws 124% as of 2022.
Environment
be 16.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Burma, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Syria, it causes 83.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.2 times more CO2
Burma emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Syria emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2014), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burma vs. Syria
Syria: At a glance
How big is Syria compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.