country profile

Syrian Arab Republic

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanLow income25.62M population

Last updated July 15, 2026

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Fragile/Conflict-Affected Country: This country is classified as experiencing conflict.

In fragile and conflict-affected settings, severe data gaps, rapid disruption, and uneven reporting can distort index values. These scores should be read as a limited signal, not a complete picture of conditions in the country.

Critically unprepared

Composite GEFRI Score

Systemwide critical constraints

Syrian Arab Republic shows critically low readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (16th percentile worldwide). Core capabilities are weak across most dimensions, and essential systems face significant constraints.

27.35Composite score
Global percentile
16th
Global rank
#149
Regional rank
#20
Viewing data for
Severely underprepared
Infrastructure
36.80
20th percentileGlobal avg. 55.13
Severely underprepared
Human Capital
43.80
34th percentileGlobal avg. 47.36
Severely underprepared
Innovation
40.92
42nd percentileGlobal avg. 46.19
Critically unprepared
Governance
10.23
2nd percentileGlobal avg. 47.46
Critically unprepared
Access & Parity
5.00
19th percentileGlobal avg. 48.49

Country profile

Syrian Arab Republic faces substantial readiness constraints across core dimensions. Its weakest results are in Infrastructure (37, 20th percentile), GEFRI Composite (27, 16th percentile), Governance (10, 2nd percentile) and School Access and Gender Parity (5, 19th percentile). These gaps continue to weigh on overall readiness.

Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. Low internet adoption slows digital participation and constrains system-wide modernization.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.

Innovation presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning.

Some indicators are imputed, so the profile should be read with moderate caution.

Key insights

Falls below many peers at the 16th percentile.

Places 149th worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 20th within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.

Scores range from Human Capital (43.8) to Access & Parity (5.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
171Israel74.74
332United Arab Emirates69.85
393Malta64.27
414Saudi Arabia63.88
535Qatar60.47
576Jordan58.77
627Bahrain58.20
648Oman57.74
799Morocco53.94
8210Kuwait53.39
9411Egypt, Arab Rep.49.54
9612Tunisia49.30
10313West Bank and GazaFCS46.28
10414Iran, Islamic Rep.FCS46.15
11115Algeria40.96
11616Djibouti39.22
12217LebanonFCS36.21
12918IraqFCS34.23
13019LibyaFCS33.89
14920Syrian Arab RepublicFCS27.35
15221Yemen, Rep.FCS25.83