Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Syria instead of Philippines, you would:

Health

live 2.6 years longer

In Philippines, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 92.0% more doctors per person

Philippines has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Syria has 15.2 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

have 10.3% more access to essential health services

Philippines scores 58 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Syria scores 64 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 83.1% less likely to die by suicide

Philippines has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Syria, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 3.4 times more likely to be obese

In Philippines, 9.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 33.0% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 78.2% less spent on your healthcare

Philippines spends $560 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Syria spends $122 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 6.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Philippines, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Syria, that number is 13.6% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 74.7% less money

Philippines has a GDP per capita of $4,171 as of 2025, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $1,057 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Life

be 76.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Philippines, approximately 84.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Syria, 20.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 18.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Philippines, approximately 21.7 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.

View global rankings →

have 45.8% more children

In Philippines, there are approximately 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 30.7% less likely to have internet access

In Philippines, approximately 67.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Syria, about 46.6% do as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 46.9% less on healthcare

Philippines spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Syria, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 99.5% less coastline

Philippines has a total of 36,289 km of coastline. In Syria, that number is 193 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 3.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Philippines, road accidents kill 9.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Syria, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

live with 4.5 times more strain on fresh water

Philippines withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Syria withdraws 124% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 15.3% less CO2

Philippines emits 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Syria emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Philippines vs. Syria

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Syria is 15.3% cheaper than Philippines overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Philippines is about 1.6 times bigger than Syria.
→
Moving from Philippines to Syria · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Syria: At a glance

Syria is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 185,887 sq km. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French administered the area as Syria until granting it independence in 1946. The new country lacked political stability, however, and experienced a series of military coups during its first decades. Syria united with Egypt in February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In September 1961, the two entities separated, and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished. In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawi sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. During the 1990s, Syria and Israel held occasional peace talks over its return. Following the death of President al-ASAD, his son, Bashar al-ASAD, was approved as president by popular referendum in July 2000. Syrian troops - stationed in Lebanon since 1976 in an ostensible peacekeeping role - were withdrawn in April 2005. During the July-August 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizballah, Syria placed its military forces on alert but did not intervene directly on behalf of its ally Hizballah. In May 2007 Bashar al-ASAD's second term as president was approved by popular referendum. Influenced by major uprisings that began elsewhere in the region, antigovernment protests broke out in the southern province of Dar'a in March 2011 with protesters calling for the repeal of the restrictive Emergency Law allowing arrests without charge, the legalization of political parties, and the removal of corrupt local officials. Since then demonstrations and unrest have spread to nearly every city in Syria, but the size and intensity of protests have fluctuated over time. The government responded to unrest with a mix of concessions - including the repeal of the Emergency Law and approving new laws permitting new political parties and liberalizing local and national elections - and force. However, the government's response has failed to meet opposition demands for ASAD to step down, and the government's ongoing security operations to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity have led to extended violent clashes between government forces and oppositionists. International pressure on the ASAD regime has intensified since late 2011, as the Arab League, EU, Turkey, and the United States have expanded economic sanctions against the regime. Lakhdar BRAHIMI, current Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, in October 2012 began meeting with regional heads of state to assist in brokering a cease-fire. In December 2012, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces was recognized by more than 130 countries as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Unrest persisted in 2013, and the death toll among Syrian Government forces, opposition forces, and civilians has topped 100,000. In January 2014, the Syrian Opposition Coalition and Syrian regime began peace talks at the UN sponsored Geneva II conference.
Read more

How big is Syria compared to Philippines? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Syria or Philippines. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.