Share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Share of population living in rural areas was 16.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in 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 %.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 16.4% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia peaked at 49.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 16.3%, in 2015.
Saudi Arabia ranks 176th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.5% | — |
| 1955 | 47.7% | -3.6% |
| 1960 | 45.7% | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 43.5% | -4.8% |
| 1970 | 41.0% | -5.7% |
| 1975 | 37.5% | -8.5% |
| 1980 | 34.7% | -7.6% |
| 1985 | 30.2% | -12.8% |
| 1990 | 26.5% | -12.4% |
| 1995 | 23.1% | -12.7% |
| 2000 | 20.9% | -9.7% |
| 2005 | 18.7% | -10.3% |
| 2010 | 17.5% | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 16.3% | -6.7% |
| 2020 | 16.4% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.6% | 47.7% | 49.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 44.6% | 43.5% | 45.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 39.3% | 37.5% | 41.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 32.5% | 30.2% | 34.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 24.8% | 23.1% | 26.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 19.8% | 18.7% | 20.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 16.9% | 16.3% | 17.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 16.4% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 173 India 16.6% compare
- 174 Sao Tome and Principe 16.6% compare
- 175 China 16.4% compare
- 177 Netherlands 15.7% compare
- 178 Afghanistan 15.6% compare
- 179 Guam 15.5% 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 share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia was 16.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.3% in 2015.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 176th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.