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The Syrian crisis is now entering its 14th year, with devastating consequences for millions. More than 231,000 civilians have been killed, and 130,000 reported as missing or forcibly disappeared, according to data from the Syrian Network for Human Rights and the International Commission on Missing Persons. Among the victims were 15,334 who died due to torture, including 199 children and 115 women.
Our latest Chart of the Week underscores the immense human cost of the conflict, illustrating the civilian death toll over the past 13 years. Based on data from SNHR and Statista, calculated as deaths per calendar year and published starting from 2012, the deadliest period was between 2012 and 2014, when fatalities exceeded 120,000 - more than half of the total deaths recorded throughout the conflict. In 2012, 66,046 civilians lost their lives, followed by 61,063 in 2013. The Syrian regime was responsible for 201,260 of the total 231,278 civilian deaths - 87 per cent, according to SNHR.
The impact on children and women has been particularly harrowing. Of all documented civilian deaths, 13 per cent - 30,193 - were children, while 7 per cent - 16,451 -were women. Chemical weapon attacks, predominantly carried out by the Syrian regime, claimed 1,514 lives, including 214 children and 262 women. These attacks are among 222 documented uses of chemical weapons during the conflict, a stark reminder of the indiscriminate brutality endured by civilians.
Beyond fatalities, the conflict has caused an unparalleled displacement crisis. More than 13.4 million Syrians - more than half the population - have been forcibly displaced, including 6.7 million refugees and 6.7 million internally displaced persons. Meanwhile, key infrastructure has been damaged, with nearly 1,700 schools, more than 890 medical facilities, and 1,450 places of worship targeted in attacks.
Although civilian deaths have declined in recent years, the figures remain sobering. By 2024, annual fatalities had dropped to 1,054. Still, women and children continued to represent a significant portion of the victims, accounting for 12.6 per cent (133 women) and 17.7 per cent (186 children) of the total deaths, respectively.
