If Syrians could pack up and leave, almost half of the population would ditch the country.
About half (46%) of Syrians say they want to leave their country, according to a 2015 Gallup survey. Nearly as many (43%) say they will likely leave their community within the next year.
Gallup's research on other countries has shown that younger, wealthier, and highly educated people are more likely to want to move. This is not true in Syria, where age, economic status, and education level didn't affect responses to the survey.
These percentages have barely budged since the Syrian conflict started in 2011. More than four million Syrian refugees have already fled to neighboring countries, like Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Millions more have been displaced inside their own borders. The desire to leave is more than twice as high than before the war began.
The conflict has also greatly affected happiness in Syria. Syrians rate their happiness at 36 out of 100, the lowest score of any country.
#Happiness in Syria is now at its lowest point - for any country - in the history of Gallup's tracking pic.twitter.com/yMWoMKAkKv
— Jon Clifton (@JonCliftonJD) November 25, 2015The majority of the Syrians surveyed (39%) say they wish to go to Europe — although no specific country stands out. About one-third (35%) mention countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Other Gallup surveys have shown the US and Canada are top destinations for refugees worldwide, but only 6% of potential Syrian refugees say they want to move to North America.
Inside Syria, the war continues to worsen. For many Syrians, simply finding an escape route may be more important than where they end up.