The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) announced the results of an opinion poll carried out in Syria in cooperation with the Arab Center for Contemporary Syria Studies as part of the 2025 Arab Opinion Index.
The survey relied on a sample of 3,690 respondents representing every governorate of Syrian society across all social and economic backgrounds and selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. The sample boasts a 98 percent confidence level, with a margin of error between ± 2 and 3 percent. Fieldwork was undertaken by more than 100 participants over 25 days from July 15-August 17, 2025, clocking in at more than 7,800 working hours. The poll represents the largest and widest-ranging sample survey in Syria to date, encompassing more than 420 questions about economic, social and political issues, including social and national integration. The results are a vital resource for Syrian policymakers and scholars as well as for Arab and international research institutions.
1. General Conditions in Syria
The results reveal that a sense of optimism is widespread in Syria. Fifty-six percent of respondents reported that Syria is heading in the right direction, as opposed to 25 percent who disagreed (figure 1a). When asked to explain in an open-ended question, optimistic respondents identified contributing factors such as the December 2024 fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the liberation of detainees and prisoners, improved security conditions, and the removal of sanctions. A clear majority of Syrians (79 to 81 percent) reported positive emotions such as hope, joy/happiness, safety, and relief following the regime’s fall. Negative feelings such as tension and anxiety, fear, uncertainty, hopelessness, sorrow, and anger were present at lower levels, ranging between 43 to 57 percent (figure 1b). Moreover, fifty-seven percent of respondents said that the political situation in Syria was very good or good, while 56 percent reported the same for the security situation. Most respondents, however, considered the economic situation to be bad or very bad (figure 1c).
1a. General Assessment of Prospects for Syria
1b. Frequency of Emotions since the Fall of the Assad Regime
1c. Assessment of General Conditions
Political and security issues were top priorities for Syrian respondents. Fifty-one percent said that the most important problems facing the country today involve the risk of partitioning Syria, instability, external interventions, the incursion of Israeli occupation forces into Syrian territory, or insecurity.
1d. Desire to Emigrate out of Syria
Of the 27 percent of Syrians who expressed a desire to emigrate from Syria, 40 percent attributed this to economic reasons, and 35 percent to security reasons (figure 1d).
When asked about the economic conditions of their families, 42 percent of respondents reported that their family income was not sufficient to cover their basic needs and 43 percent earned enough to cover their needs, while 11 percent said they earned more than enough to cover their needs (figure 1e). The majority of families in need reported that they depended on assistance from acquaintances to meet their basic needs. Sixty-one percent of the respondents said they ate meat either rarely or less than once a week. Thirty-six percent reported that their families depended on regular or irregular remittances.
1e. Self-Reported Family Income Sufficiency
2. State Institutions and Government Performance
A significant majority—80 percent of respondents—reported an interest in political affairs. 18 percent reported no interest in politics at all. A slight majority reported trusting official institutions, including the security apparatus (56.7 percent), the current government (55.2 percent), the defence ministry (54.4 percent), and the local governorates (53.4 percent) (figure 2a). While 47 percent said that the government applied the law equally among citizens, 30 percent believed that it applied the law but privileged certain groups, and 12 percent said that it did not apply the law equally (figure 2b).
2a. Confidence in Major State Institutions (arithmetic mean)
2b. Application of the Law
Sixty-one percent of respondents believed that the foreign policy of the current government reflected the views of the Syrian people, while 25 percent said it did not (figure 2c). Similarly, 59 percent reported that the government’s economic policy reflected their views; 31 percent said it did not (figure 2d).
More than 50 percent of respondents said the government has been successful in tackling major issues such as crime, protecting private property, combatting theft, preserving Syrian territorial integrity, and settling disputes. Yet less than 50 percent of respondents said the government was successful in tackling unemployment, combatting sectarian rhetoric, regaining Syrian lands occupied by Israel since the Assad regime’s fall on December 8, 2024, and managing prices (figure 2e).
2c. The Extent to Which Syrians Feel Foreign Policy Reflects Their Views
2d. The Extent to Which Syrians Feel Syrian Economic Policy Reflects Their Views
2e. Positive Evaluation of Government Performance on Selected Issues (arithmetic mean)
More than half of respondents agreed that the government had succeeded in respecting human rights, encouraging citizen participation in political dialogue, ensuring freedom of expression, and respecting the right of free assembly. Conversely, the majority saw governmental failure in ensuring political pluralism, ending discrimination between citizens, and delivering accountability from senior government officials (figure 2f).
More than half of respondents expressed that basic foodstuffs are widely available, while about half of respondents reported a wide availability of fuel. About 30 percent reported a good water supply, and 25 percent reported a reliable electricity connection at home (figure 2g).
The survey revealed a perception of widespread financial and administrative corruption. Eighty-nine percent of respondents reported that it was widespread in varying degrees; only 7 percent reported that it was not widespread at all. Importantly, 56 percent of the respondents believe that the prevalence of financial and administrative corruption has decreased since the Assad regime fell (figure 2h).
65 percent said that transitional justice should include anyone implicated in crimes, even if they were from the opposition or armed factions, while 25 percent of respondents believed that transitional justice should only include former regime figures (figure 2i).
2f. Positive Evaluation of Government Performance: Human Rights, Freedoms, and Accountability (arithmetic mean)
2g. Positive Evaluation of Current State of Public Services (arithmetic mean)
2h. Perceptions of Financial and Administrative Corruption
2i. Accountability and Transitional Justice
In your opinion, whom is it necessary to hold accountable to achieve transitional justice?
3. Politics and Democracy
Most survey respondents agreed with democratic principles. Most rejected the negative arguments often raised by opponents of democracy; the majority believed that “the democratic system does not conflict with Islam” and rejected arguments that democracy is associated with poor economic performance or is not good at maintaining public order. Sixty percent of Syrians agreed that democracy, despite its problems, is better than other systems of government; 20 percent disagreed (figure 3a). Sixty-one percent affirmed that democracy is the best system of government for Syria today. Support for other systems of government stood at less than 10 percent for each category (figure 3b).
Fifty-three percent of respondents said that they would accept the rule of a political party with which they disagreed if it received a majority of votes in free and fair elections (figure 3c). Syrian public opinion supports the existence of more than one political party in Syria in general, as well as Syrian nationalist political movements and Islamist currents. The largest bloc of respondents also supported the presence of Arab nationalist and liberal currents (figure 3d).
3a. Views on Democratic Government
Do you agree with the statement “even if it has its problems, democracy is better than other systems of government”?
3b. Political Systems
What is the best political system for Syria?
3c. Elections
Would you accept the rule of a political party you disagree with, if it received a majority of votes in a free and fair election?
3d. Political Orientation
Do you support or oppose the presence of the following political currents in Syria?
4. Social Integration and National Identity
Sixty-four percent of respondents believe that the Syrian people have succeeded to varying degrees in national integration over the years, compared to 12 percent who that said no integration has occurred (figure 4a).
Nineteen percent of respondents believed that the most important factor shaping national identity is a shared Syrian culture, followed by the Arabic language (17 percent), living in Syria (10 percent), social and cultural diversity (9 percent), and Islam (8 percent). Eighty-five percent of respondents reported that “sectarian rhetoric” is widespread. 84 percent believed that Syrians today identify themselves and others based on sectarian and religious affiliation (figure 4b), with 42 percent believing that this has increased compared to one year ago (figure 4c) Eighty-three percent of respondents believed that discrimination between people based on their sects and religions was widespread in the country.
A further 67 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “No one has the right to question the patriotism of any member of society or their belonging to the homeland because they oppose government policies.” Forty-one percent of respondents believed that tension between citizens based on sect or religion was the result of interference from external parties, compared to 36 percent who believed it was the result of a lack of the principles of citizenship and tolerance (figure 4d).
Syrians attribute sectarian and ethnic tension in the Arab world to several factors. Twenty-four percent said that it is the result of interference from external powers, 22 percent believed that it is due to the behavior of societies and people toward one another, 18 percent said that it is a result of media and social media, and 7 percent believed that it is due to the behaviour of the ruling regimes.
Some 44 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “The former regime relied on people it trusted and their loyalty, regardless of their sect.” Although Syrians acknowledged the existence of sectarian rhetoric, 66 percent of respondents reported that they saw no difference in dealing with others regardless of their sect or religion. Twenty-five percent of respondents preferred dealing with people from the same sect (figure 4e). Syrians agreed, by a range of 66 percent to 78 percent, that they did not mind their neighbours being from other religions, sects, and ethnicities, and that they rejected all forms of discrimination (figure 4f).
4a. National Integration
4b. Differentiation by Sect and Religion
4c. Differentiation by Sect and Religion Compared to One Year Ago
4d. Drivers of Sectarian and Religious Tension
Which statement is closest to your belief?
4e. Social Relationship Preferences Based on Sect/Religion
4f. Respondent Preferences for Neighbors
5. Perceptions of the Arab World
Seventy-five percent of respondents agreed that the people of the Arab region represent a single nation. They stated that the Arab peoples constitute either a single nation with common characteristics, even if separated by artificial borders, or a single nation with distinct characteristics for each of its peoples. However, 16 percent said the Arabs are different peoples and nations with weak ties (figure 5a).
Syrians believe that Israel is the greatest threat to the security and stability of the Middle East, with 78 percent agreeing that Israel is the country that poses the greatest threat to the security of the Arab world. A further 55 percent of respondents believe that Israel is the country that poses the greatest threat to Syria’s security and stability, followed by Iran at 14 percent (figure 5b).
5a. How Syrians Perceive the Arab People
5b. Regional Security and Stability
Do you think that the current policies of some international and regional powers threaten the security and stability of the region?
Who poses the greatest security threat to the Arab world?
6. The Palestinian Cause and the Arab Israeli Conflict
Sixty-nine percent of respondents said that “the Palestinian cause concerns all Arabs and not the Palestinian people alone,” compared to 15 percent who that said it concerned Palestinians alone (figure 6a).
Seventy-four percent opposed recognition of Israel, against 17 percent in support. As figure 6b shows, Syria records the highest support for recognizing Israel (17%) across Arab countries surveyed in the Arab Opinion Index in 2024-25, though opposition still dominates at 74%. Reasons for opposing the recognition of Israel fell into several categories, including that “it is a colonial, occupying, and settling state in Palestine”; “it is an expansionist state seeking to dominate or occupy countries in the Arab world and their resources”; “it is a racist state that discriminates against Arabs”; and “it occupies the Golan Heights, dispossesses Palestinians, continues to persecute and kill them, and denies them their right to self-determination and freedom.” Seventy percent of respondents opposed an agreement with Israel without the return to Syria of the Golan Heights. Seventy-four percent believed that Israel “is working to support certain groups within Syrian society in order to fuel separatist conflicts and threaten Syria’s territorial integrity” (figure 6c) and 88 percent believed that Israel “is working to threaten security and stability in Syria” (figure 6d).
Seventy-four percent reported that they are following the Israeli war on Gaza (figure 6e). Respondents cited several causes for the continuing war, including US military and political support for Israel and Arab countries’ lack of support for Gaza.
6a. Attitudes toward the Palestinian Cause
6b. Support for Syria’s Recognition of Israel
6c. Syrian Perceptions of Israeli Influence in Syria
Do you agree with the statement, “Israel supports some groups in Syrian society in order to fuel separatist conflicts and threaten Syrian territorial integrity”?
6d. Perceptions of Israel’s Threat to Syria
6e. Percentage of Syrians Who Follow News about the Gaza War
7. Religion in Public and Political Life
Ten percent of respondents defined themselves as “very religious,” 57 percent said that they were “somewhat religious,” and 21 percent described themselves as “non-religious.” Fifty-nine percent of respondents believed that the most important condition for considering a person religious is positive moral character and behaviour, compared to 31 percent who said that religiosity is linked to performing religious duties and worship (figure 7a). While 15 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that all non-religious people are bad, 75 percent disagreed (figure 7b).
Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported that they did not differentiate between religious and non-religious people, compared to 21 percent who preferred to deal with religious people and 15 percent who preferred to deal with non-religious people (figure 7c). Meanwhile, 57 percent of respondents believed that “it is better for the country to separate religion from politics,” compared to 30 percent who said that religion should not be separated from politics (figure 7d).
7a. Factors Most Cited to Define an Individual as “Religious”
7b. Religiosity
Do you agree with the statement, “Every non-religious person is definitely a bad person”?
7c. Interacting with Others
When dealing with others, do you prefer to deal with religious people or does it make no difference to you?
7d. The Separation of Politics and Religion
Do you agree with the statement, “It is better for the state to separate religion from politics”?
8. Internet and Social Media Use
Seventy-eight percent of respondents reported using the internet to varying degrees. Ninety-eight percent of all internet users have a social media account. Seventy percent of users express opinions online about current political events, to varying degrees (figure 8a); 67 percent use the internet to engage with politics.
Seventy-nine percent of Syrians agreed that, despite its flaws, social media is a good medium because it allows people to express their opinions.
Seventy-eight percent of Syrians agreed, to varying degrees, that social media has become a hotbed for sectarian rhetoric. Eighty percent agreed that it is a source of misinformation about others (figure 8b).
Seventy-six percent of respondents agreed, to varying degrees, that they can post content on social media that criticizes the government without fear of repercussions (figure 8c).
8a. Frequency of Social Media Use to Opine on Current Political Affairs
8b. Attitudes toward Social Media
8c. Freedom of Expression on Social Media
