Syria Cities by Population 2026

Syria Overview

The largest city in Syria is Aleppo, with a population of 4,105,521 people.

Like many other countries of the world, Syria has its populated areas divided across several categories. In this country, 284 sub-districts spread across 65 districts that are part of 14 governorates. Sixty-four of the 65 districts have a designated regional capital.

Only two of Syria’s cities have a population that exceeds one million. In addition to its cities, there are over 6,000 villages and towns spread across the country. This offers an explanation as to why a country that ranks just 89th in the world in terms of area has one of the biggest populations, with around 26.47 million residents.

The population is split fairly evenly when it comes to distribution among the rural and urban areas, with 2014 figures showing that just under 43% of residents live in rural areas. However, despite seeming like a high number, data from past years actually show that this is a significant decrease. The early 1990s had a more even split, while decades before showed a higher percentage of rural residents. Like other countries, more Syrians are moving to urban areas for better job and educational opportunities than those found in the rural areas, while immigrants tend to flock more to the urbanized cities for the same reasons.