Life stages in Syria

Syria has no single authority or national system that manages all life stages. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, Ministry of Health, civil registries, courts and humanitarian organizations each cover different needs. The practical answer depends on the person's age, location, documentation, displacement status, safety conditions and the organizations operating in that area. Children under 18 have rights to registration, nationality, protection, care, survival and development under Syrian and international child-rights rules. Support includes formal schooling, early childhood education, accelerated or self-learning programmes, catch-up classes, child-friendly spaces, case management and mental-health and psychosocial support. In 2025, about 2.45 million children were out of school, more than one million were at risk of dropping out and nearly 8,000 schools were not functioning. Education services reached about 3.7 million children, but school access still varies sharply by governorate and subdistrict. Transport, learning materials, accommodation, poverty, safety and missing documents can prevent attendance. Supported programmes may be free, while practical costs remain for transport and materials; no uniform nationwide fee or admission timetable has been verified. Young people aged 10 to 24 make up about 6.8 million people, or roughly 30% of the population. Their main transitions involve continuing education, vocational training, literacy, life skills, work, entrepreneurship and civic or digital participation. Youth-friendly spaces and community programmes can provide advice, skills and activities, but access depends on location, programme funding and safety. Youth unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 exceeded 30% in June 2025 and was higher among young women. School dropout can increase exposure to child labour, early marriage, exploitation and recruitment, while mobility restrictions and social expectations particularly affect girls. Adulthood in Syria is closely connected with work, income, civil status, displacement, return and caregiving. Labour Law No. 17 of 2010 sets the minimum employment age at 15 and restricts hazardous and other work for people under 18. Labour contracts, wages, working time and safety duties are regulated, but enforcement is weak and much work is informal. In 2024, labour inspections recorded violations involving minors working more than seven hours and failures to keep required documentation. Around 90% of the population was living in poverty in 2025, and about one in four adults was unemployed. There is no reliable universal safety net; targeted cash assistance and disability-related support depend on vulnerability, programme rules and coverage. In 2025, an integrated social-protection programme reached 86,708 people in 11 governorates, including 80,341 people receiving basic-needs cash and 6,367 children with disabilities receiving cash or referrals. Civil documents shape access to education, work, property, inheritance, services and return. Birth certificates, identity documents, marriage records, death records and family booklets are handled through civil registries and courts, with legal aid and mobile outreach provided by UNHCR and partner organizations in some areas. In 2023, supported legal programmes helped issue about 31,000 identity cards, 5,450 family booklets, 7,000 marriage documents and 3,340 birth certificates. UNHCR services are free, while court and registry charges and processing times vary locally. Return after displacement is voluntary, and counselling, documentation, transport, shelter, income support and property assistance may be needed. By December 2025, more than three million displaced Syrians had reportedly returned, but missing documents, housing, income and services remained major barriers. Older people, commonly defined as over 60 in international programmes, face poverty, chronic illness, reduced mobility, isolation, abuse and loss of family support. Syria has no verified universal old-age benefit or national long-term-care access system. A 2024 country profile found no national ageing strategy providing universal social protection, and only 16.7% of older people received a pension in 2016. Available support includes primary or mobile health care, mental-health support, rehabilitation, assistive devices, cash or essential-item assistance and community centres. Device eligibility is restricted and coverage depends on the provider and area. Care for people who need daily assistance is mainly provided by family and relatives. Syria has no identified national long-term-care insurance, universal care assessment, standardized care allowance or comprehensive residential-care system. UNHCR and NGO programmes may support older people, people with disabilities and caregivers through referrals, rehabilitation, assistive devices, adult diapers, psychosocial support and inclusive-care services. Poverty, displacement and limited mobility increase the burden, while availability, cost and timing differ by project and location. Conflict, displacement, explosive ordnance, localized violence, earthquakes, drought and other climate shocks can interrupt every life stage. In 2026, about 15.6 million people needed humanitarian assistance, including 8.6 million targeted for support, while about seven million people were internally displaced. Around 6.2 million children needed protection services. Common responses include emergency shelter, water and sanitation, cash assistance, child protection, case management, psychosocial support, temporary learning, mobile teams, community centres, legal aid, civil-documentation help and voluntary-return support. Access depends on security, location, displacement status, documentation and partner coverage, so a service available in one governorate may not exist in another.