Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Cyprus fits inside Syria 20 times.
Cyprus: 9,250 km² (2023) · Syria: 185,180 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Cyprus’ coastline is 3.4 times as long as Syria’s.
Cyprus: 648 km (2026 edition) · Syria: 193 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Syria’s highest peak towers 863 m above Cyprus’.
Cyprus: 1,951 m (2026 edition) · Syria: 2,814 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Syria has 19 times as many people as Cyprus.
Cyprus: 1.37 million (2025) · Syria: 25.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Cyprus is 6% more densely populated than Syria.
Cyprus: 148 per km² (2025) · Syria: 140 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Cyprus are 1.1 cm taller than in Syria.
Cyprus: 172.8 cm (2019) · Syria: 171.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Cyprus are 1.2 cm taller than in Syria.
Cyprus: 160.6 cm (2019) · Syria: 159.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Cyprus is 16 years older than in Syria.
Cyprus: 37.8 years (2023) · Syria: 22.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Syria have 1.3 more children on average than in Cyprus.
Cyprus: 1.38 children per woman (2024) · Syria: 2.7 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in Cyprus are 65 or older, versus 4.8% in Syria.
Cyprus: 14.9% (2025) · Syria: 4.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Cyprus has produced 7.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Syria 0.0.
Cyprus: 7.3 (2025) · Syria: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Cyprus has 2 official languages, Syria 1.
Cyprus: 2 (2026) · Syria: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Cyprus’ economy is 74% larger than Syria’s.
Cyprus: $41.2 billion (2025) · Syria: $23.7 billion (2022)
How much is produced per person?
Cyprus produces 13 times as much per person as Syria.
Cyprus: Int$64,575 (2025) · Syria: Int$4,905 (2022)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Cyprus than in Syria (Gini 5.4 points higher).
Cyprus: 31.8 (2023) · Syria: 26.4 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 14% in Syria, versus 4.9% in Cyprus.
Cyprus: 4.9% (2025) · Syria: 13.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Cyprus: 1.6% (2024) · Syria: no data
How expensive is it?
Cyprus’ price level (US = 100) is 3× Syria’s.
Cyprus: 65% (2025) · Syria: 22% (2022)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Cyprus spends 87 times as much on health per person as Syria.
Cyprus: $2,899 (2023) · Syria: $33 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Cyprus live 9.3 years longer than in Syria.
Cyprus: 81.8 years (2024) · Syria: 72.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Syria is 4.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Cyprus.
Cyprus: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Syria: 17.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Cyprus has 2.3 times as many doctors per person as Syria.
Cyprus: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Syria: 1.5 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
30% of adults in Syria are obese, versus 24% in Cyprus.
Cyprus: 23.7% (2024) · Syria: 29.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Cyprus: 32.5% (2024) · Syria: no data
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Cyprus rate their lives 2.66 points higher than in Syria.
Cyprus: 6.13 (2025) · Syria: 3.46 (2018)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Cyprus drink 44 times as much alcohol as in Syria.
Cyprus: 4.9 litres (2023) · Syria: 0.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Cyprus has 4.8 times as much meat per person as Syria.
Cyprus: 77.9 kg (2023) · Syria: 16.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Cyprus has 617 kcal more food per person per day than Syria.
Cyprus: 2,876 kcal (2023) · Syria: 2,259 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Cyprus put in 219 more hours a year than in Syria.
Cyprus: 1,840 hours (2023) · Syria: 1,621 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Cyprus went to school 6.6 years longer than in Syria.
Cyprus: 12.6 years (2023) · Syria: 5.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Cyprus: 2.97 (2024) · Syria: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
90% of people in Cyprus are online, versus 34% in Syria.
Cyprus: 90% (2024) · Syria: 34% (2018)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Cyprus have electricity, versus 89% in Syria.
Cyprus: 100% (2024) · Syria: 89.3% (2024)
How many live in cities?
72% of people in Syria live in cities, versus 67% in Cyprus.
Cyprus: 67% (2025) · Syria: 72% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Cyprus has 156 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Syria 71.
Cyprus: 156 (2024) · Syria: 71 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Cyprus: no data · Syria: 2,139 km (2010)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Cyprus fly 22 times as many passengers per resident as those from Syria.
Cyprus: 0.53 (2023) · Syria: 0.02 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 19% of Cyprus, but only 2.8% of Syria.
Cyprus: 18.7% (2023) · Syria: 2.8% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Cyprus emits 4.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Syria.
Cyprus: 5.4 t (2024) · Syria: 1.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
28% of Cyprus’ electricity is renewable, versus 3.5% in Syria.
Cyprus: 27.7% (2025) · Syria: 3.5% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Syria carries 86% more fine dust than in Cyprus.
Cyprus: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024) · Syria: 30.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Cyprus: 1 per 100k (2024) · Syria: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Syria are 7.7 times as deadly as in Cyprus.
Cyprus: 3.9 per 100k (2021) · Syria: 29.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Cyprus is on average 0.3 °C warmer than Syria.
Cyprus: 20.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Syria: 20.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Cyprus gets 73% more rain than Syria.
Cyprus: 373 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Syria: 216 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Cyprus bigger than Syria?
Syria is larger. Cyprus fits inside Syria 20 times.
Which has more people, Cyprus or Syria?
Syria has 19 times as many people as Cyprus (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Cyprus or Syria?
People in Cyprus live 9.3 years longer than in Syria. Life expectancy at birth is 81.8 years in Cyprus and 72.6 in Syria.
Are people taller in Cyprus or Syria?
Men in Cyprus are 1.1 cm taller than in Syria (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
