Index Commentary

Syria drops in the Index by 12 places mainly driven by a substantial deterioration of energy security. Energy security overall is supported by a good ratio of energy production to total energy supply and a strong diversity of energy exports. However, the recent substantial drop was driven by a deterioration of several, already weak indicators: low diversity of electricity production, a decrease in the wholesale margin on gasoline and an increase in the 5-year energy consumption growth trend, which turned from a negative into a positive growth rate. Small increases are visible in social equity, but further improvements are still necessary with electricity only provided to 90% of the population. Syria underperforms overall in mitigating its environmental footprint when compared to other countries with a similar level of energy intensity. Performance in contextual dimensions remains low.