Rabat – The World Bank recently issued a report estimating the cost of rebuilding Syria to be $216 billion. After more than 13 years of conflict — a civil war, the rise of the Islamic State, and a refugee crisis — Syria’s infrastructure damage is intense.
The World Bank estimated the cost to be between $140 billion and $345 billion, with the most realistic conservative estimate at $216 billion.
As part of reconstruction, residential buildings, hospitals, and schools all need to be rebuilt. In addition, basic infrastructural services were destroyed during the war, such as water management systems and the electrical grid.
The World Bank estimated that rebuilding infrastructure will cost $82 billion and residential buildings will cost $75 billion. Non-residential buildings are expected to require an additional $59 billion.
The Syrian civil war which closely followed the 2011 Arab Spring, shrunk the economy, reducing the GDP by 53% since 2010. However, in May of 2025, US President Donald Trump lifted most of the US sanctions on Syria, though some sanctions were left on companies associated with the Assad family.
The US and European Union having partially lifted sanctions on Syria instilled economic hope, which is reflected in the Syrian lira’s relative stability in the past months.
Additionally, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa announced in late August his plans to revalue Syrian currency in efforts to restabilize the country.
Syria’s civil war was preceded by massive protests during the Arab Spring lasting from 2011-2012. Former President Bashar al-Assad led a brutal crackdown of protestors, creating a vacuum in the country and exacerbating armed conflict – which was defined mainly by ethnic and sectarian identities.
During the Syrian civil war, an estimated 6.7 million people became refugees, 7.4 million people were displaced internally, and more than 500,000 people killed.
Since the fall of Assad, sectarian violence continues, giving rise to concerns about the new Syrian government’s ability to mitigate conflict against Syria’s minority groups.
Nevertheless, Syria remains hopeful that economic and political progress will be made to ensure a Syria that protects and dignifies all of its inhabitants.
