Minister: Syria records first budget surplus in 26 years

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh stated that his country recorded its first budget surplus in more than two decades in 2025, as authorities moved to strengthen fiscal discipline and improve transparency.

Barnieh presented the results of the 2025 state budget execution, highlighting efforts to enhance transparency in financial policy, Caliber.Az reports, citing SANA.

Total government spending reached approximately 379.2 billion Syrian pounds (about $3.4 billion), marking a 45.7% increase compared with the previous year. Wages accounted for the largest share of expenditures, at around 41%.

Budget revenues rose even more sharply, more than doubling to 384.2 billion pounds (around $3.49 billion).

Customs duties were the primary source of income, making up roughly 39% of total revenues.

As a result, the budget posted a modest surplus of about 5 billion pounds ($46 million), the first positive balance since 1990.

The finance ministry said the outcome reflects tighter control over spending and intensified efforts to combat corruption. However, it noted that the surplus narrowed over the course of the year due to rising costs in certain areas and the settlement of accumulated obligations.

Looking ahead, budget expenditures in 2026 are projected to more than triple to $10.5 billion, with a focus on social and investment programs.

Revenues are expected to reach about $8.7 billion, with nearly one-third generated from oil and gas.

Syrian authorities also plan to regularly publish budget execution reports and to release additional details of the 2026 financial plan in the near future.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov