World Bank Estimates Syria’s Reconstruction Costs at $216 Billion

World Bank Estimates Syria’s Reconstruction Costs at $216 Billion
……………

The World Bank has estimated the cost of rebuilding Syria after more than 13 years of war at $216 billion, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the country’s new leadership, Rudaw reported. In its latest assessment covering 2011 to 2024, the Bank said nearly one-third of Syria’s pre-war capital stock has been destroyed, with direct physical damages to infrastructure, residential, and non-residential buildings totaling $108 billion.

Infrastructure suffered the most damage, representing 48 percent of total losses—around $52 billion. The World Bank placed the overall cost of physical assets between $140 billion and $345 billion, identifying Aleppo and the Damascus countryside as the hardest-hit regions.

“The challenges ahead are immense, but the World Bank stands ready to work alongside the Syrian people and the international community to support recovery and reconstruction,” said Jean-Christophe Carret, the Bank’s Middle East director, according to AFP.

The estimated cost is nearly ten times Syria’s projected GDP for 2024. Since the ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad in December, the country’s new authorities have been seeking foreign investment to rebuild. Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh described the report as a vital benchmark for the nation’s recovery efforts.