Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 24.3% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Saudi Arabia, 1955–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of urban population who live in the largest city in Saudi Arabia is 24.3%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Saudi Arabia peaked at 24.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 1960.
That places Saudi Arabia 96th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 1960s | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 6.1% | 5.6% | 6.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 10.2% | 8.7% | 11.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 18.4% | 17.6% | 19.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.4% | 20.0% | 20.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 22.1% | 21.6% | 22.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 24.3% | 24.3% | 24.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 93 Serbia 25.4% compare
- 94 Philippines 25.3% compare
- 95 Kyrgyzstan 24.9% compare
- 97 Norway 24.2% compare
- 98 Colombia 24.1% compare
- 99 Azerbaijan 24.1% compare
More population data for Saudi Arabia
- World population growth 0.6% (2100)
- Population density 33.03 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 4.10 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.6% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 2.31 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 2.31 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 448 people (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 2.31 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 2.28 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 2.25 children per women (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Saudi Arabia?
- Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Saudi Arabia was 24.3% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 1960.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 96th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.