Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 5.07 million people in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Saudi Arabia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Saudi Arabia is 5.07 million people, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Saudi Arabia peaked at 5.07 million people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 843,322 people, in 1950.
Saudi Arabia ranks 61st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 843,322 people | — |
| 1955 | 969,612 people | +15.0% |
| 1960 | 1.11 million people | +14.8% |
| 1965 | 1.27 million people | +14.5% |
| 1970 | 1.46 million people | +14.7% |
| 1975 | 1.71 million people | +17.0% |
| 1980 | 2.10 million people | +22.7% |
| 1985 | 2.47 million people | +17.5% |
| 1990 | 2.82 million people | +14.3% |
| 1995 | 3.07 million people | +9.0% |
| 2000 | 3.38 million people | +9.9% |
| 2005 | 3.85 million people | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 4.40 million people | +14.3% |
| 2015 | 4.89 million people | +11.2% |
| 2020 | 5.07 million people | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 906,467 people | 843,322 people | 969,612 people | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.19 million people | 1.11 million people | 1.27 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.59 million people | 1.46 million people | 1.71 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 2.28 million people | 2.10 million people | 2.47 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.95 million people | 2.82 million people | 3.07 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.61 million people | 3.38 million people | 3.85 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.65 million people | 4.40 million people | 4.89 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.07 million people | 5.07 million people | 5.07 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 58 Yemen 5.17 million people compare
- 59 Republic of Korea 5.13 million people compare
- 60 Lao People's Democratic Republic 5.10 million people compare
- 62 Senegal 5.06 million people compare
- 63 Uzbekistan 4.90 million people compare
- 64 Guatemala 4.70 million people compare
More population data for Saudi Arabia
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.6339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1019 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 48,374 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.2 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.5868 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Saudi Arabia?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Saudi Arabia was 5.07 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.07 million people in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 843,322 people in 1950.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 61st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.2%. 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 major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.