Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Syria instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 2.4 years longer
In Turkmenistan, 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.
be 91.4% less likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Syria, it is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 48.5% more likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Syria, that number is 33.0% of people as of 2024.
see 90.3% less spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Syria spends $122 as of 2023.
have 21.2% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Syria has 15.2 as of 2021.
have 14.7% less access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Syria scores 64 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Syria, that number is 13.6% as of 2025.
be 412.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Turkmenistan, 0.2% live below the poverty line as of 2012. In Syria, however, that number is 82.5% as of 2014.
make 83.8% less money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Syria, the GDP per capita is $1,057 as of 2022.
Life
be 41.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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 10.8% more children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Syria, there are 23.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Syria, 20.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 84.2% more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Syria, about 46.6% do as of 2022.
be 11.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Turkmenistan, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 50.7% less on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Syria, that number is 2.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Syria, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 31.4% more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Syria has 6.9 as of 2023.
use 69.3% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Syria uses 854 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 88.3% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Syria emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2012–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Syria
Syria: At a glance
How big is Syria compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.