Syria vs Iraq
Syria
Iraq
| Metric | Syria | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Damascus | Baghdad |
| Population | 25,620,427 | 47,020,774 |
| Area (km²) | 185,180 | 438,317 |
| Population density (/km²) | 138 | 107 |
| GDP per capita (USD) | $1,100 | $5,400 |
| Region | Western Asia | Western Asia |
| Currency | SYP | IQD |
| Languages | Arabic | Arabic, Kurdish |
| Main religions | Islam, Christianity | Islam |
| Time zone | UTC+3 | UTC+3 |
Green highlights the higher value (or higher GDP per capita). Figures are approximate.
At a glance
Syria and Iraq are both located in Asia (both in Western Asia). Iraq has the larger population — about 1.8× the population of Syria, while Iraq covers more land area.
For full geographic detail, see the Syria map and the Iraq map.
Lands of the Euphrates
The Euphrates rises in Turkey, crosses eastern Syria and then flows into Iraq, where it joins the Tigris before reaching the Gulf. The two countries share a desert border of roughly 600 km. It was drawn after the First World War, when France took the mandate for Syria and Britain the mandate for Iraq. Damascus and Baghdad were both once capitals of great Islamic caliphates, under the Umayyads and the Abbasids.
Rival Ba'athists
From the 1960s both countries were ruled by branches of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. After the party split in 1966 the two regimes became bitter rivals, and Syria backed Iran in the Iran–Iraq War. Saddam Hussein's government fell in the 2003 US-led invasion. Syria's Assad government fell on 8 December 2024 to an offensive led by opposition forces, and a transitional government has run the country since.
The ISIS years
In 2014 the Islamic State group seized large areas of both countries and declared its border erased. Iraqi forces declared the group defeated on their territory in 2017. In Syria, US-backed, Kurdish-led forces took its last enclave at Baghuz in 2019. The border region remains sensitive for security. After the fall of Assad, Iraq reopened the al-Qaim–Albu Kamal crossing in 2025, and the al-Walid–al-Tanf crossing reopened in April 2026 after more than a decade.
People and economy
Arabic is the main language in both, and both have Kurdish communities in the north. Iraq's Kurdistan Region has formal autonomy, while the future of Syria's Kurdish-led administration in the northeast and its integration with the new government in Damascus remain contested. Iraq has a Shia Arab majority, while most Syrians are Sunni Arabs, with Alawite, Christian, Druze and other minorities. Iraq has some of the world's largest oil reserves, and oil pays for most of its state budget. Syria's economy was shattered by the civil war that began in 2011, and millions of Syrians remain refugees or displaced. Reconstruction depends heavily on sanctions relief and investment. Compare also Iran vs Iraq and Jordan vs Lebanon.
Frequently asked questions
- Do Syria and Iraq share a border?
- Yes. They share a desert border of roughly 600 km, drawn under the French and British mandates after the First World War.
- Which river flows through both Syria and Iraq?
- The Euphrates. It rises in Turkey, crosses eastern Syria and flows through Iraq, where it joins the Tigris.
- When did the Assad government fall?
- Syria's Assad government fell on 8 December 2024, and a transitional government has led the country since.