Rural population in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Rural population was 14.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14.8%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
170th
of 214 countries
All-time high
51.3%
in 1970
All-time low
14.8%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Saudi Arabia, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 14.8% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Saudi Arabia peaked at 51.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 14.8%, in 2024.
That places Saudi Arabia 170th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 51.3% | — |
| 1971 | 49.3% | -3.9% |
| 1972 | 47.3% | -4.1% |
| 1973 | 45.3% | -4.2% |
| 1974 | 43.3% | -4.4% |
| 1975 | 41.7% | -3.8% |
| 1976 | 40.1% | -3.7% |
| 1977 | 38.6% | -3.8% |
| 1978 | 37.1% | -3.9% |
| 1979 | 35.6% | -4.0% |
| 1980 | 34.1% | -4.1% |
| 1981 | 32.7% | -4.2% |
| 1982 | 31.3% | -4.3% |
| 1983 | 30.0% | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 28.6% | -4.4% |
| 1985 | 27.4% | -4.5% |
| 1986 | 26.1% | -4.6% |
| 1987 | 25.4% | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 24.7% | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 24.1% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 23.4% | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 22.8% | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 22.1% | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 21.8% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 21.6% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 21.3% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 21.1% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 20.9% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 20.6% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 20.4% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 20.2% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 19.9% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 19.7% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 19.5% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 19.2% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 19.0% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 18.8% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 18.6% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 18.4% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 18.1% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 17.9% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 17.7% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 17.5% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 17.3% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 17.0% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 16.8% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 16.6% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 16.4% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 16.2% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 15.9% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 15.7% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 15.5% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 15.3% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 14.8% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 43.0% | 35.6% | 51.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.4% | 24.1% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.6% | 20.4% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.1% | 18.1% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.9% | 15.9% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.3% | 14.8% | 15.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 167 Norway 15.7% compare
- 168 United Kingdom 15.1% compare
- 169 Dominican Republic 15.0% compare
- 171 Finland 14.1% compare
- 172 Australia 13.2% compare
- 173 New Zealand 12.9% 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)
- Population growth rate 0.629 (2100)
- Population density 33.03 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 4.10 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Saudi Arabia?
- Rural population in Saudi Arabia was 14.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 51.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.8% in 2024.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for rural population?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 170th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release