In the previous parts we documented the complete reference on the history of the US Dollar in Syria and the war decade 2011–2020. This final part covers the pound's most violent years and the historic transformation that ended an era. Figures are approximate parallel-market rates.
2021–2022: continuous erosion
2021 opened with a fresh collapse pushing the dollar to a peak near 4,700 in March, before closing the year around 3,500. Through 2022 the slide continued quietly to roughly 6,000–6,800 amid deepening fuel and electricity crises.
2023: the most violent year
2023 was the harshest on record: the February earthquake, then an unprecedented summer collapse that broke 10,000 and touched 15,000 at the August–September peaks, before settling in a 13,000–14,500 range. The pound lost over half its value in a single year.
2024: the year of historic change
The year saw sharp swings around a 14,000–15,000 range, with continuous pressure on purchasing power. Then December 2024 brought the fall of the regime — the event that rewrote every equation: the pound swung violently between optimism and anxiety in the first days, closing the year near 14,800 per dollar amid anticipation of the new phase.
2025: transition and sanctions relief
2025 brought developments unimaginable years earlier: a path of Western sanctions relief, gradual return of official remittance channels, and preparations for monetary reform. For the first time since 2011, the pound posted an annual gain, with the dollar easing to around 10,500 by year-end — the first positive turn after 14 years of continuous decline. In September 2025, Decree 293 announced the removal of two zeros.
2026: birth of the new pound
On January 1, 2026 the new Syrian Pound officially entered circulation at 100 old = 1 new, opening an entirely new chapter. Both currencies circulate during the transition — follow the live USD rate in old and new pounds on our site.
The series in two lines
From 3.5 pounds per dollar in 1950, to 47 in 2010, to beyond 15,000 at the worst moments of 2023 — then the first annual gain in 2025 and a complete reset with the 2026 new currency. The pound's story is Syria's own story, and we document it here day by day.
