More than 60,000 people have died in the Syrian uprising and civil war, the UN said, dramatically raising the death toll in a struggle that shows no sign of ending.

UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said in Geneva that researchers cross-referencing seven sources over five months of analysis had listed 59,648 people killed in Syria between March 15, 2011 and Nov. 30, 2012.

"The number of casualties is much higher than we expected and is truly shocking," she said.