Saudi Arabia vs Somalia: Share of population living in cities
Saudi Arabia
65.1%
in 2020
Somalia
63.9%
in 2020
Saudi Arabia rank
24th
Somalia rank
26th
Share of population living in cities over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 65.1% against 63.9% in Somalia, a difference of 1.2%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Somalia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 24th and Somalia ranks 26th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 1 and Somalia in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | Somalia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.4% | 12.1% | 10.8% | Somalia |
| 1960s | 6.0% | 20.3% | 14.4% | Somalia |
| 1970s | 12.6% | 33.6% | 21.0% | Somalia |
| 1980s | 25.4% | 48.5% | 23.1% | Somalia |
| 1990s | 44.8% | 52.0% | 7.2% | Somalia |
| 2000s | 54.7% | 60.0% | 5.3% | Somalia |
| 2010s | 62.0% | 63.9% | 1.9% | Somalia |
| 2020s | 65.1% | 63.9% | 1.2% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in cities, Saudi Arabia or Somalia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 65.1% against 63.9% in Somalia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in cities between Saudi Arabia and Somalia?
- 1.2%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Somalia?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do Saudi Arabia and Somalia rank globally for share of population living in cities?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 24th and Somalia ranks 26th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in cities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.