Fuel and customs hikes worsen living conditions in Syria

Living conditions in Syria have deteriorated sharply amid continuing economic crises, a significant decline in purchasing power and a widening gap between low incomes and rising prices of basic goods. The deterioration has been driven by the Syrian transitional government's repeated increases in fuel prices and customs duties, the latest of which came in the early hours of 13 September.

Syria's economy has seen a sharp decline in household purchasing power, driven by fuel price increases and rising living costs, highlighting the widening gap between income and expenditure and forcing many families to rely on remittances from abroad or humanitarian assistance.

Prices of basic commodities and food products continue to rise amid exchange-rate fluctuations and mounting daily living costs, including fuel and electricity. Service sectors, particularly energy and electricity, are also imposing additional financial burdens on citizens, while market activity varies from one area to another amid delays by the government in paying agricultural season bills.

Successive Increases in Fuel Prices

Fuel prices in Syria have risen significantly in 2026 compared with previous years, increasing by around 200 percent and having a major impact on people's lives, triggering widespread anger.

In 2021, the Autonomous Administration provided petroleum products to residents at subsidized prices across several categories. Service diesel, supplied to bakeries and transport vehicles, cost 100 Syrian pounds, while heating diesel cost 250 pounds, industrial diesel 300 pounds, and tourism diesel 400 pounds. Gasoline cost 410 Syrian pounds, kerosene 300 pounds, and a gas cylinder 80,000 Syrian pounds.

In 2022, Turkey began attacks on vital infrastructure and oil facilities, destroying infrastructure in North and East Syria. The attacks continued until 2024, after which the Autonomous Administration managed to rehabilitate vital facilities at a cost of more than $1.5 billion.

Until 2025, the Autonomous Administration continued to provide petroleum products at the cost of extraction. According to fuel committees, heating diesel cost 1,100 Syrian pounds until 2025, while the highest price recorded for tourism diesel was 4,000 pounds.

Following the start of the integration process after the 29 January agreement and the transitional government's takeover of all oil facilities, the government began repeatedly raising fuel prices.

On 4 September, the government set fuel prices at 152 new Syrian pounds per liter for 95-octane gasoline, equivalent to 15,200 old Syrian pounds; 147 new Syrian pounds for 90-octane gasoline; 125 pounds for diesel; 1,470 pounds for a household gas cylinder; and 2,350 pounds for an industrial gas cylinder.

On 13 September, the transitional government sharply increased fuel prices again. The price of 95-octane gasoline rose to 195 new Syrian pounds per liter, equivalent to 19,500 old Syrian pounds, while 90-octane gasoline rose to 185 pounds per liter and diesel to 175 pounds per liter. A household gas cylinder reached 1,600 Syrian pounds, an industrial gas cylinder 2,560–2,570 pounds, and a ton of fuel oil 52,800 pounds.

Transportation Costs Surge

The transport sector has been heavily affected by the increases, with fares rising sharply.

The fare for passengers traveling between Qamishlo and Derik, Qamishlo and Hasakah, and Qamishlo and Tel Koçer—cities located about 97 kilometers apart—was previously 11,000 Syrian pounds per passenger. It rose to 15,000 pounds on 4 September and has now reached 50,000 pounds per passenger for travel from Qamishli to Hasakah or from Derik to Qamishli following the latest fuel price increase.

Food Prices Rise as Salaries Remain Unchanged

The Simalka border crossing served as an outlet for residents of the region, with food products entering the area subject to symbolic customs duties. However, after the transitional government took control of the crossing, customs duties on food products were increased.

According to Bashir Suleiman, a grocery store owner in Tell Tamer, food prices have risen by 60 percent, significantly affecting living conditions.

Despite the sharp increases in food and fuel prices, salaries for employees in Syria remain, according to various statistics, at an average of $100.

Residents say their salaries cover only 10 percent of a household's average basic needs, meaning a monthly salary is enough for only three days of actual consumption.

Families are spending several times their official income, forcing them to rely on remittances from abroad, work two or three jobs, or borrow money continuously to meet their needs.

How Are Families Coping With the Current Situation?

Hamza Alyan Juma, a resident of villages south of Tell Tamer, said: "We are not living; we are managing a survival crisis day by day. Planning for the future, or even for next week, is a luxury we cannot afford. We buy vegetables by the piece and oil by the ounce, and prioritize only medicine and bread."

He added that rising fuel prices and delays in payments for the agricultural season had forced him to borrow money to cover the costs of food, medicine, education and transportation.

"I borrowed some money with the intention of repaying it from the wheat payment, and I took my wife to the hospital," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Zaki Masto from Tell Tamer said the sharp rise in transportation fares following the latest fuel crisis and the protests that followed in several provinces had made the cost of students traveling to universities and schools consume a large part of their remaining budgets.

He also pointed to the sharp increase in transportation fares between small towns and villages, which has also affected access to healthcare.

Markets Stagnate as Purchasing Power Falls

Bashir Suleiman, the grocery store owner, said central markets were experiencing a state of stagnation, particularly following the sudden increase in diesel prices.

He said families had begun relying on daily food supplies and purchasing only essential items, while dropping other food products such as rice and meat because of high prices.

Suleiman concluded that residents of villages were struggling to reach cities because of the sharp increase in transportation costs and their inability to purchase basic food supplies, which had significantly affected market activity.

ANHA