The World Bank listed Syria among low-income economies for fiscal year 2026, a category that includes 25 economies out of 201 worldwide.
According to the World Bank’s income level classification for fiscal year 2026, issued on the evening of Monday, June 29, low-income economies are those where gross national income per capita does not exceed $1,135 annually.
The classification is based on gross national income per capita data in US dollars, after conversion from local currencies using the Atlas method, which the World Bank uses to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations between currencies.
The World Bank classifies the world’s economies into four categories: low-income economies, lower-middle-income economies, upper-middle-income economies, and high-income economies.
Income categories are updated once a year on July 1, based on estimates of gross national income per capita during the previous calendar year.
According to the bank’s explanations, gross national income estimates are based on data collected by economists in country units and rely primarily on official statistics published by states. Population estimates are also based on multiple sources, including United Nations population projections issued every two years.
$225 Million Financing Grant
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors had approved a $225 million financing grant from the International Development Association to support Syria in improving public service delivery in the water and health sectors.
The approved financing package includes two new projects aimed at improving people’s lives by ensuring reliable access to water and sanitation and improving access to high-quality health services.
Both projects are expected to benefit around 4.5 million Syrians across Syria, according to a World Bank statement published on April 23.
The statement explained that 14 years of conflict destroyed Syria’s water infrastructure, reversing decades of development and increasing climate risks.
More than half of the water supply network and around 70% of wastewater treatment plants were severely damaged, while water supply fell by around 40% compared with pre-conflict levels.
More than half of the population lacks adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services, and the amount of available water has fallen to less than 700 cubic meters per person annually, far below the water scarcity threshold.
$150 Million for Water Security Project
The Syria Emergency Water Security and Sustainable Services Project, valued at $150 million, aims to rehabilitate water supply and sanitation infrastructure in high-priority, densely populated, conflict-affected areas and meet urgent needs for urban residents, including returning refugees and internally displaced people.
The project will rehabilitate critical water treatment and transmission infrastructure in Idlib (northwestern Syria), Homs (central Syria), and Hama (central Syria), strengthen it against climate change, and provide emergency equipment needed to sustain essential services.
The project will also rehabilitate wastewater treatment infrastructure to improve sanitation services in Damascus (southwestern Syria) and reduce environmental pollution.
The project’s activities also support stronger water resource management and climate resilience through dam safety assessments and water and climate information systems.
$75 Million for Health Recovery Project
The Syria Health System Recovery and Resilience Project, valued at $75 million, will improve citizens’ access to high-quality health services and strengthen the public capacity of Syria’s public health system.
The project will restore essential primary health care services, maternal, newborn, and child health services, and nutrition services in 150 high-impact primary health care centers across Syria.
These centers serve broad segments of the population and benefit the most vulnerable groups, including internally displaced people, returnees, women-headed households, and marginalized host communities.