Population growth rate in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Population growth rate was 2.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Population growth rate in Saudi Arabia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, population growth rate in Saudi Arabia stood at 2.4%.
That represents a change of down 44.5% on the previous year and down 30.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Saudi Arabia peaked at 6.1% in 1982 and was at its lowest, -1.5%, in 2018.
That places Saudi Arabia 33rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rate in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.5% | — |
| 1951 | 3.5% | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 3.5% | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 3.5% | +0.8% |
| 1954 | 3.6% | +0.5% |
| 1955 | 3.6% | +0.6% |
| 1956 | 3.6% | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 3.6% | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 3.6% | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 3.6% | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 3.7% | +0.4% |
| 1961 | 3.7% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 3.7% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 3.7% | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 3.7% | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 3.7% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 3.7% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 3.8% | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 4.0% | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 4.1% | +3.1% |
| 1970 | 4.3% | +4.4% |
| 1971 | 4.6% | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 4.9% | +6.6% |
| 1973 | 5.1% | +3.9% |
| 1974 | 5.2% | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 5.3% | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 5.5% | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 5.7% | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 5.8% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 5.8% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 5.9% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 6.1% | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 6.1% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 6.0% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 5.8% | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 5.6% | -3.8% |
| 1986 | 5.7% | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 5.6% | -3.0% |
| 1988 | 5.1% | -8.6% |
| 1989 | 5.0% | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 4.8% | -3.4% |
| 1991 | 4.7% | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 4.5% | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 4.3% | -3.8% |
| 1994 | 4.2% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 4.1% | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 3.9% | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 3.8% | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 3.7% | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 3.6% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 5.3% | +49.6% |
| 2001 | 5.1% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 4.9% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 4.4% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 3.9% | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 3.8% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 3.6% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 3.5% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 3.3% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | -49.5% |
| 2017 | -1.2% | -174.3% |
| 2018 | -1.5% | +22.8% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -246.6% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -46.7% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | -15.9% |
| 2022 | 4.3% | +335.0% |
| 2023 | 2.4% | -44.5% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 2.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 4.9× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 2.4% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.6%, 1.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +335.0% | 1.0% | 4.3% |
| 2019 | +246.6% | -1.5% | 2.2% |
| 2017 | -174.3% | 1.6% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | +49.6% | 3.6% | 5.3% |
| 2016 | -49.5% | 3.3% | 1.6% |
| 2020 | -46.7% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.8% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.2% | 4.3% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.7% | 5.0% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.2% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 3.9% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | -1.5% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 1.0% | 4.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More population data for Saudi Arabia
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1019 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.6339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.5774 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.6339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.6% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 4.10 million people (2100)
- Population density 33.03 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.6% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.5868 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.2 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Saudi Arabia?
- Population growth rate in Saudi Arabia was 2.4% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 1982.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.5% in 2018.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for population growth rate?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 33rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.