General information
Part of Conflict: n/a
First Battle Related Death: 2004-03-16
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2011-03-24
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: The Government of Syria first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2011, when the one-sided violence passed both the 25 and the 1000 civilian death threshold. The 25-threshold was reached on 24 March, and the 1000-threshold was passed on 10 June.
Conflict issues
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1989
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
1990
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2004
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 7 |
| Best | 7 |
| Low | 7 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2011
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 3493 |
| Best | 3114 |
| Low | 2990 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2012
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 3547 |
| Best | 2954 |
| Low | 2505 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2013
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 2809 |
| Best | 2722 |
| Low | 2518 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2014
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 655 |
| Best | 464 |
| Low | 338 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2015
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 286 |
| Best | 264 |
| Low | 150 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2016
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 151 |
| Best | 135 |
| Low | 99 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2017
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 133 |
| Best | 131 |
| Low | 131 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2018
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 13 |
| Best | 13 |
| Low | 13 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2019
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 11 |
| Best | 7 |
| Low | 7 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2020
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 30 |
| Best | 25 |
| Low | 18 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2021
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1 |
| Best | 1 |
| Low | 1 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2022
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 6 |
| Best | 6 |
| Low | 6 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2023
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2024
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 16 |
| Best | 11 |
| Low | 11 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
2025
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1993 |
| Best | 1721 |
| Low | 1415 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Syria): n/a
Side B (Civilians): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1989 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
1990 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2004 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2011 Dyad Archive
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: The differences between the Low, Best and High estimates resulted mainly from unclear information. Independent information on the developments on the ground in 2011 was rare due to the ban of all international media and independent observers by the government. Hence different sources often reported varying versions for the same events.
Further, adhering to the strict UCDP coding rules and UCDPs tradition for "conservative" estimates, UCDP gives a lower fatality estimate than reported by other sources such as the UN. This stems from the strict criteria regarding sources as well as from issues of definition: E.g. UCDP only codes as one-sided violence events in which there was only use of force by one side. Consequently, events in which the protestors refered to stone-throwing etc are excluded from UCDP one-sided violence figures, but are oftentimes included by other sources.
Comment on Active: One-sided violence in 2011 in Syria took place in the context of the "Arab Spring" uprisings. The first fatalities of the year occurred on 18 March in the city of Daraa.
Terminated: NO
2012 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: During 2012 the regime forces continued to carry out violence directed at the civilian population, although the number of fatalities registered by the UCDP was significantly lower than during 2011. It should be noted however that the 2012 figures are preliminary as some sources normally used in UCDP coding remain to be consulted. Furthermore, it is frequently very difficult to distinguish one-sided events from state-based ones, given the quality of reporting, and the quantity of events that take place across Syria. The UCDP codes with moderation, and events are not coded as one-sided if the information does not indicate it fulfills the one-sided criteria.
Terminated: NO
2013 Dyad Archive
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: Out of the coded fatalities in 2013, most are from events taking place in Tartous province by the Mediterranean coast in the beginning of May. Government and pro-government forces then committed gruesome massacres of over 300 civilians in Baniyas town and al-Bayda village.
Comment on Active: One-sided violence continued to be perpetrated in 2013. However, a great part of the violence went unreported or was reported in a way not meeting the UCDP criteria for inclusion. Furthermore, a lot of presumably one-sided violence was not reported with sufficient context to allow coding into the one-sided category. Thus the figures given for 2013 are likely too low, and represent a very conservative estimate.
Out of the coded fatalities in 2013, most are from events taking place in Tartous province by the Mediterranean coast in the beginning of May. Government and pro-government forces then committed gruesome massacres of over 300 civilians in Baniyas town and al-Bayda village.
Terminated: NO
2014 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2015 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2016 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2017 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2018 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2019 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2020 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2021 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2022 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2023 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2024 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2025 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
