Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.5 years longer

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Lebanon, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

be 15.1% more likely to be obese

In Syria, 27.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Lebanon, that number is 32.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.5 times more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2015, while in Lebanon, the GDP per capita is $13,000 as of 2021.

be 14.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Lebanon, that number is 11.8% as of 2022.

be 66.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Lebanon, however, that number is 27.4% as of 2011.

Life

be 30.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Lebanon, 21.0 women do as of 2020.

be 10.1% more likely to be literate

In Syria, the literacy rate is 86.4% as of 2015. In Lebanon, it is 95.1% as of 2018.

be 55.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Syria, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Lebanon, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2022.

have 41.9% fewer children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lebanon, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 12.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Syria, approximately 89% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Lebanon, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

be 86.7% more likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Lebanon, about 87.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 66.7% less on education

Syria spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2009. Lebanon spends 1.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 16.6% more coastline

Syria has a total of 193 km of coastline. In Lebanon, that number is 225 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Lebanon: At a glance

Lebanon is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 10,230 sq km. Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French demarcated the region of Lebanon in 1920 and granted this area independence in 1943. Since independence the country has been marked by periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its position as a regional center for finance and trade. The country's 1975-90 civil war that resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities, was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life. Neighboring Syria has long influenced Lebanon's foreign policy and internal policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. The Lebanon-based Hizballah militia and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. Lebanon's borders with Syria and Israel remain unresolved.
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How big is Lebanon compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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