The Syrian Ministry of Finance published a summary on Tuesday, April 7, of the state budget’s performance for 2025.
According to figures posted by Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh on his Facebook page, the reported surplus in Syria’s 2025 state budget was revised downward after the minister had previously said in a television interview that it was nearly 10 times higher.
Barnieh said the general budget posted a slight surplus of about 5 billion Syrian pounds, equivalent to roughly $46 million, marking the first surplus since 1990. He had previously said that the 2025 budget recorded a financial surplus of more than half a billion dollars during the first 10 months of the year.
The Syrian minister attributed the decline in the surplus to the fact that “the surplus had reached around half a billion dollars by the end of the third quarter, as we previously mentioned, but gradually shrank during the fourth quarter with the increase in some public spending items and the settlement of overdue obligations,” without specifying the emergency spending or the obligations in question.
Surplus driven by tighter financial management and anti-corruption efforts
Minister Barnieh said the slight surplus in the 2025 budget mainly reflected a commitment to prudent and disciplined public financial management, as well as combating corruption and waste.
According to Barnieh, the recorded surplus represents about 0.15% of gross domestic product, which stood at $30.6 billion in 2025. By contrast, the deficit in 2024 amounted to 2.7% of GDP.
He added that total public spending in 2025 reached around 379.2 billion Syrian pounds, equivalent to about $3.447 billion, marking an increase of about 45.7% compared with total spending in 2024. Spending on wages and salaries accounted for the largest share, at about 41% of total expenditure.
On January 6, 2025, the Cabinet Presidency in the interim government in Damascus announced the adoption of a “one-twelfth budget” approach for the 2025 fiscal year, based on one-twelfth of the appropriations allocated for the 2024 fiscal year, the budget approved by the former Syrian regime’s government.
Periodic reports to “enhance transparency”
The Syrian minister said publishing the 2025 budget performance reflects a commitment to transparency in disclosing fiscal data, public revenue sources, and government spending, adding that the ministry will issue periodic reports as part of implementing the 2026 budget.
According to the finance minister, total public revenues last year reached about 384.2 billion Syrian pounds, equivalent to $3.493 billion, an increase of about 120.2% compared with revenues in 2024. Customs duties accounted for about 39% of total revenues, alongside improved economic activity and tighter anti-corruption controls.
2026 spending expected to rise
The finance minister estimated that public spending in the 2026 budget will reach about $10.516 billion, more than triple the level of public spending in 2025, with a focus on social and investment spending.
He added that spending is likely to rise further in the 2027 budget, particularly to finance development projects, reconstruction, and anti-poverty programs.
At the same time, total public revenues for 2026 are expected to reach about $8.716 billion, with 28% coming from oil and gas revenues, all of which will be incorporated into the state’s general budget.
According to Barnieh, the Ministry of Finance will publish further details in the coming days on issues that concern citizens regarding the 2026 budget. Preparations for the 2027 budget will begin next month, ahead of discussions in the People’s Assembly in the final quarter of 2026.
Barnieh stressed the ministry’s commitment to greater financial disclosure so that every Syrian citizen knows what enters the budget and where those resources are spent.
Finance minister to Enab Baladi: Figures need updating
Responding to Enab Baladi’s questions about his earlier statements on the surplus, Syrian Finance Minister Barnieh said in mid-March that the figures mentioned at the time “have now changed significantly and need updating and revision.”
In an analysis by an economic expert interviewed by Enab Baladi, the expert said there is broad agreement that any real budget surplus should result from genuine economic growth and increased productivity, not merely from spending restraint or delaying projects.
According to a statement recently published by the International Monetary Fund, Syria ended 2025 with a slight budget surplus after tightening spending and focusing it on essential needs, while international experts agreed with the authorities on a reform support and technical assistance program.
The same statement said the surplus was achieved through expenditure control and the Ministry of Finance’s decision not to rely on central bank financing, which was seen as “a notable improvement compared with previous years.”
Economic and financial expert Dr. Mohammed Taysir al-Faqih had previously told Enab Baladi that a real surplus must include growth in production and sustainable investment, not simply result from “spending rationalization” or temporary austerity measures.
According to al-Faqih, an accounting surplus alone is not enough to classify fiscal performance as “sound and sustainable” unless it is accompanied by higher productivity or an expanded economic base.
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