State Capacity Index in Syria

Syria: State Capacity Index was -1.2 in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
-1.2
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
160th
of 166 countries
All-time high
0.4078
in 2008
All-time low
-1.22
in 2014
Years of data
56
1960–2015

State Capacity Index in Syria, 1960–2015

-1-0.500.5196019872015

Source: Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2015, state capacity index in Syria stood at -1.2.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 727.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, state capacity index in Syria peaked at 0.4078 in 2008 and was at its lowest, -1.22, in 2014.

That places Syria 160th out of 166 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

State Capacity Index in Syria, year by year

Annual values for State Capacity Index in Syria, 1960 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1960 0.1312
1961 0.1957 +49.2%
1962 0.265 +35.4%
1963 0.0659 -75.1%
1964 -0.0739 -212.1%
1965 -0.0074 -90.0%
1966 -0.0395 +431.9%
1967 -0.2609 +561.0%
1968 -0.2158 -17.3%
1969 -0.2149 -0.4%
1970 -0.358 +66.6%
1971 -0.4153 +16.0%
1972 -0.4823 +16.1%
1973 -0.4674 -3.1%
1974 -0.468 +0.1%
1975 -0.3725 -20.4%
1976 -0.3935 +5.6%
1977 -0.2905 -26.2%
1978 -0.24 -17.4%
1979 -0.3901 +62.5%
1980 -0.3403 -12.8%
1981 -0.3211 -5.6%
1982 -0.1103 -65.6%
1983 -0.0619 -43.9%
1984 -0.1514 +144.5%
1985 -0.0835 -44.9%
1986 0.0222 -126.6%
1987 0.0877 +294.7%
1988 0.0491 -44.0%
1989 0.0109 -77.8%
1990 0.022 +102.1%
1991 0.1506 +584.2%
1992 0.2063 +37.0%
1993 0.2043 -1.0%
1994 0.2048 +0.2%
1995 0.2671 +30.4%
1996 0.303 +13.4%
1997 0.4028 +32.9%
1998 0.3089 -23.3%
1999 0.3697 +19.7%
2000 0.4 +8.2%
2001 0.2885 -27.9%
2002 0.3055 +5.9%
2003 0.2677 -12.4%
2004 0.1607 -40.0%
2005 0.1917 +19.3%
2006 0.2474 +29.1%
2007 0.2157 -12.8%
2008 0.4078 +89.1%
2009 0.3258 -20.1%
2010 0.2078 -36.2%
2011 0.1096 -47.3%
2012 -0.3522 -421.4%
2013 -1.03 +193.9%
2014 -1.22 +17.9%
2015 -1.2 -1.5%

Syria compared with similar countries

  • Syria's -1.2 is below the median for low income countries, which is -0.5349, 2.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Syria's -1.2 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.2707. (21 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where State Capacity Index in Syria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1991 +584.2% 0.022 0.1506
1967 -561.0% -0.0395 -0.2609
1966 -431.9% -0.0074 -0.0395
2012 -421.4% 0.1096 -0.3522
1987 +294.7% 0.0222 0.0877

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -0.0155 -0.2609 0.265 10
1970s -0.3878 -0.4823 -0.24 10
1980s -0.0899 -0.3403 0.0877 10
1990s 0.244 0.022 0.4028 10
2000s 0.2811 0.1607 0.4078 10
2010s -0.582 -1.22 0.2078 6

Countries ranked near Syria

  1. 157 Democratic Republic of Congo -0.9912 compare
  2. 158 Afghanistan -1.05 compare
  3. 159 Haiti -1.15 compare
  4. 161 Eritrea -1.23 compare
  5. 162 Libya -1.35 compare
  6. 163 South Sudan -1.37 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Syria

All data for Syria →

Frequently asked questions

What is state capacity index in Syria?
State capacity index in Syria was -1.2 in 2015, according to Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest state capacity index recorded in Syria?
The highest recorded value was 0.4078 in 2008.
What is the lowest state capacity index recorded in Syria?
The lowest recorded value was -1.22 in 2014.
How does Syria rank for state capacity index?
Syria ranks 160th out of 166 countries with data for 2015.
Is state capacity index rising or falling in Syria?
Over the last ten years it is down 727.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Syria data come from?
The figures come from Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of State Capacity Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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State Capacity Index in Syria. Statizoid, drawing on Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/state-capacity-index/syrian-arab-republic/

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About this data

Indicator
State Capacity Index
Source
Jonathan Hanson and Rachel Sigman (2021); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 8,015 data points, 1960–2015
Last refreshed

Measures state capacity by combining 21 different indicators related to three key dimensions: extractive capacity, coercive capacity, and administrative capacity. Higher values indicate greater state capacity.