From a vast desert kingdom of just over 3 million people in 1950 to a dynamic, urbanized nation of more than 37 million today, Saudi Arabia's remarkable population story is one of explosive growth, youthful energy, and profound demographic transformation.
Key Takeaways
- Saudi Arabia's total population as of the 2022 census was 32,175,224 residents.
- The population of Saudi Arabia reached 35,340,683 in mid-2023 according to UN estimates.
- Saudi Arabia's population density is 16 people per square kilometer as of 2023.
- The population of Saudi Arabia as of the 2022 census was 32,175,224 residents.
- Males constitute 56.6% of the total population (18,213,000 males) in 2022 census.
- Females make up 43.4% of population (13,962,000 females) per 2022 census.
- As of 2022 census, 84.4% of population lives in urban areas.
- Urban population growth rate 2.21% annually per World Bank 2022.
- Riyadh city population 7,676,654 in 2022 census.
- Saudi nationals 90.5% of total population, 9.5% non-Saudis in 2022 census.
- Arabs make up 90% of population, per CIA World Factbook 2023.
- South Asians 9%, Africans 1%, other 1% ethnic breakdown CIA.
- Net migration rate 2.23 migrants/1,000 pop per CIA 2023.
- Crude birth rate 14.9 births/1,000 pop in 2023 CIA est.
- Total fertility rate 1.78 children/woman below replacement.
Saudi Arabia's population is growing rapidly and diversifying through significant immigration.
Age and Gender Structure
1The population of Saudi Arabia as of the 2022 census was 32,175,224 residents.
Verified2Males constitute 56.6% of the total population (18,213,000 males) in 2022 census.
Verified3Females make up 43.4% of population (13,962,000 females) per 2022 census.
Verified4Median age in Saudi Arabia is 30.8 years as of 2023 CIA estimate.
Directional50-14 years age group comprises 24.9% of population (9,260,000) in 2023.
Single source615-64 years group is 70.6% (26,270,000) per CIA 2023 data.
Verified765+ years is 4.5% (1,670,000) of population in 2023 CIA stats.
Verified8Male median age is 31.2 years, female 30.3 years per CIA 2023.
Verified9Population under 15 was 25.6% (8,238,000) in 2022 census Saudis.
Directional10Working age 15-64 for Saudis: 70.1% (7,860,000) in 2022.
Single source11Elderly Saudis 65+: 4.3% (484,000) per 2022 census.
Verified12Dependency ratio is 41.6% with 35.2 youth and 6.4 elderly per CIA.
Verified13UN data shows 24.1% aged 0-14 in 2020 medium variant.
Verified1469.4% aged 15-64 in 2020 UN projection for Saudi Arabia.
Directional156.5% over 65 in 2020 per UN population division.
Single source16Sex ratio at birth is 1.05 males per female per CIA.
Verified17Overall sex ratio 123 males per 100 females due to migrants.
Verified18Under 15 sex ratio 107 males/100 females per CIA 2023.
Verified1915-64 sex ratio 145 males/100 females from migrants.
Directional2065+ sex ratio 107 males/100 females per CIA data.
Single source21Life expectancy at birth 75.1 years total, 73.5 male, 76.9 female CIA.
Verified22World Bank 2021 median age data: 30.3 years for Saudi Arabia.
Verified23Projected median age 32.5 years by 2030 per UN WPP.
Verified242022 census: Riyadh median age around 28.5 years regionally.
Directional25Makkah region median age 29.2 years in 2022 data.
Single source26Eastern Province median age 30.1 years per 2022 census.
VerifiedAge and Gender Structure Interpretation
Despite its youthful energy, Saudi Arabia leans heavily on a vast, predominantly male workforce of expatriates, creating a demographic imbalance where, for every 100 women, there are 123 men, yet the nation's overall median age of just over 30 suggests this economic engine is still relatively young and facing an impending shift toward an older, more balanced population.
Ethnic and National Composition
1Saudi nationals 90.5% of total population, 9.5% non-Saudis in 2022 census.
Verified2Arabs make up 90% of population, per CIA World Factbook 2023.
Verified3South Asians 9%, Africans 1%, other 1% ethnic breakdown CIA.
Verified4Muslims 93-95% of population, majority Sunni per CIA.
Directional5Shia Muslims 10-12% or about 3.5-4 million per CIA estimates.
Single source6Christians 4%, Buddhists 1%, other religions per CIA 2023.
Verified7Expatriates total 13.5 million or 42% of pop in 2022 census.
Verified8Indians 2.6 million expatriates largest group per GASTAT.
Verified9Pakistanis 2.5 million, Bangladeshis 2.1 million expats 2022.
Directional10Egyptians 1.8 million, Sudanese 1.7 million expats per census.
Single source11Yemenis 1.5 million, Jordanians/Syrians 1.2 million expats 2022.
Verified12Filipinos 0.7 million, Turks 0.5 million expats GASTAT data.
Verified13Bedouin nomadic Arabs less than 1.5% of population CIA.
Verified14Saudi citizens of mixed Arab descent 40% per estimates.
Directional15Najdi Arabs 14 million, Hejazi 7-8 million ethnic groups.
Single source16Eastern Province Arabs 4 million Shia-majority ethnic.
Verified17Asiri Arabs 2.2 million in southwest per wiki sources.
Verified1885-90% Sunni Muslims, 10-15% Shia per Pew Research.
Verified19Languages: Arabic official, English widely used, Urdu/Hindi common.
Directional20Literacy rate 97.2% total, 98.5% male, 96% female 2022.
Single source21Foreign-born population 39% or 39% of total residents 2020 UN.
VerifiedEthnic and National Composition Interpretation
Saudi Arabia’s population portrait reveals a nation where the lines between citizen and guest, Sunni and Shia, Arab and a global mosaic are statistically precise, yet woven into a complex social fabric where nearly everyone is a neighbor to someone from somewhere else.
Total Population and Growth
1Saudi Arabia's total population as of the 2022 census was 32,175,224 residents.
Verified2The population of Saudi Arabia reached 35,340,683 in mid-2023 according to UN estimates.
Verified3Saudi Arabia's population density is 16 people per square kilometer as of 2023.
Verified4From 2012 to 2022, Saudi Arabia's population grew by 34.4% according to official census data.
Directional5The 2022 population census recorded 18,316,956 Saudi nationals and 13,858,268 non-Saudis.
Single source6World Bank data shows Saudi Arabia's population at 36,599,467 in 2022.
Verified7Saudi population growth rate was 1.58% in 2022 per World Bank indicators.
Verified8As of 2023, Riyadh province hosts 8,554,000 people, 26.6% of national total.
Verified9Makkah province population was 9,033,000 in 2022 census, largest in kingdom.
Directional10Eastern Province had 5,086,000 residents per 2022 census data.
Single source11Madinah province population stood at 1,708,000 in the 2022 census.
Verified12Qassim region population was 1,373,000 according to 2022 stats.
Verified13Asir province had 2,107,000 people in 2022 census figures.
Verified14Tabuk province population reached 900,000 in 2022.
Directional15Hail region recorded 717,000 residents in 2022 census.
Single source16Jazan province population was 1,648,000 per 2022 data.
Verified17Najran region had 586,000 people in 2022 census.
Verified18Al-Baha province population stood at 474,000 in 2022.
Verified19Al-Jawf province had 490,000 residents per 2022 census.
Directional20Northern Borders region population was 392,000 in 2022.
Single source21UN projects Saudi population at 39,420,000 by 2025.
Verified22Population growth rate projected at 1.46% annually to 2030 by UN.
Verified23Worldometer estimates 2024 population at 37,194,577 with 1.8% growth.
Verified24IMF forecasts Saudi population at 38.5 million by 2028.
Directional251950 population was 3,220,142 per UN historical data.
Single source261970 population reached 5,778,000 according to UN records.
Verified271990 census-like estimate was 16,758,000 per UN.
Verified282010 population was 27,448,000 from UN data.
Verified29Annual population change was +637,895 persons in 2023 per Worldometer.
Directional30Saudi land area is 2,149,690 sq km supporting current density of 17/km².
Single sourceTotal Population and Growth Interpretation
Saudi Arabia's population, now just over 35 million, is a dynamic story of rapid growth—more than tripling since 1990—and stark contrasts, where vast open spaces support a density so low that each person could theoretically have their own 62,500-square-meter plot, yet nearly half the population is packed into just two provinces, Mecca and Riyadh.
Urbanization and Settlement
1As of 2022 census, 84.4% of population lives in urban areas.
Verified2Urban population growth rate 2.21% annually per World Bank 2022.
Verified3Riyadh city population 7,676,654 in 2022 census.
Verified4Jeddah urban agglomeration 4,697,000 residents per 2022.
Directional5Makkah city population 2,042,000 in 2022 census data.
Single source6Medina city had 1,488,000 people in 2022 urban stats.
Verified7Dammam metropolitan area population 1,252,523 per 2022.
Verified8Taif city population 688,000 in 2022 census figures.
Verified9Buraydah urban pop 614,000 per 2022 regional data.
Directional10Khamis Mushait 549,000 residents in 2022 census.
Single source11Hofuf city 501,000 people per 2022 stats.
Verified12CIA estimates 95% urban by 2023 due to rapid development.
Verified13Rural population 15.6% or about 5 million in 2022 census.
Verified14World Bank urban pop % was 84.01% in 2020.
Directional15UN projects 88.5% urban by 2025 medium variant.
Single source16Riyadh province urbanization rate 93.2% in 2022.
Verified17Makkah province 88.7% urban population per 2022.
Verified18Eastern Province 85.4% urban in 2022 census data.
Verified19Asir province only 58.3% urban, highest rural share.
Directional20Jazan region 42.1% urban per 2022 stats.
Single source21Al-Baha province 37.6% urban population in 2022.
Verified22Largest urban center Riyadh grew 4.5% from 2010-2022.
Verified23Jeddah pop increased 28% between 2004 and 2022 censuses.
Verified2437.8% of Saudis live in Riyadh and Makkah provinces combined urban.
Directional25Non-Saudi urban residents 91.2% vs 78.4% Saudis urban in 2022.
Single sourceUrbanization and Settlement Interpretation
The kingdom is sprinting toward a concrete horizon, with over 84% of its population already in cities and nearly every expat living there, turning ancient oases into bustling metro areas while a steadfast 15% hold down the rural fort.
Vital Statistics and Migration
1Net migration rate 2.23 migrants/1,000 pop per CIA 2023.
Verified2Crude birth rate 14.9 births/1,000 pop in 2023 CIA est.
Verified3Total fertility rate 1.78 children/woman below replacement.
Verified4Death rate 3.4 deaths/1,000 population per CIA 2023.
Directional5Infant mortality rate 11.8 deaths/1,000 live births CIA.
Single source6Maternal mortality ratio 17 deaths/100,000 live births WHO.
Verified7Life expectancy 76.9 years total, 75.1 male, 78.8 female CIA.
Verified82022 births totaled 510,000 per GASTAT vital stats.
Verified9Deaths in 2022: 110,000 according to official records.
Directional10Natural increase 400,000 persons in 2022 census implied.
Single source11Net migration +350,000 in 2023 Worldometer est.
Verified12Remittances sent by expats $38 billion annually WB 2022.
Verified13Unemployment rate 4.8% overall, 12.8% for Saudis youth.
Verified14Saudization policy targets 40% national workforce by 2025.
Directional15Inflows of migrants 1.2 million net per year recent avg.
Single source16Emigration rate low at 0.23 migrants/1,000 pop CIA.
Verified17World Bank net migration 2021: +1,252,000 persons.
Verified18Birth registration 99.5% coverage per UNICEF data.
Verified19Contraceptive prevalence 24.6% among women 15-49 UN.
Directional20Obesity rate 35.4% adult population WHO 2022.
Single source21HIV prevalence <0.1% low per UNAIDS estimates.
VerifiedVital Statistics and Migration Interpretation
Saudi Arabia’s population is gently growing older and larger at home, cleverly propped up by a wave of newcomers who fill the gaps its own youth can’t yet bridge, while sending billions back to their own countries in a tidy global exchange.
Sources & References
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- Reference 2POPULATIONpopulation.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 3CIAcia.govVisit source
- Reference 4DATAdata.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 5WORLDOMETERSworldometers.infoVisit source
- Reference 6IMFimf.orgVisit source
- Reference 7ENen.wikipedia.orgVisit source
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- Reference 12MACROTRENDSmacrotrends.netVisit source
- Reference 13DATAdata.unicef.orgVisit source
- Reference 14DATAdata.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 15AIDSINFOaidsinfo.unaids.orgVisit source