Share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Share of population living in rural areas was 16.35 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
16.35
World rank
176th
of 236 countries
All-time high
49.51
in 1950
All-time low
16.32
in 2015
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 16.35 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 49.51 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 16.32, 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 | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.51 | — |
| 1955 | 47.72 | -3.6% |
| 1960 | 45.71 | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 43.53 | -4.8% |
| 1970 | 41.04 | -5.7% |
| 1975 | 37.53 | -8.5% |
| 1980 | 34.69 | -7.6% |
| 1985 | 30.24 | -12.8% |
| 1990 | 26.49 | -12.4% |
| 1995 | 23.13 | -12.7% |
| 2000 | 20.88 | -9.7% |
| 2005 | 18.72 | -10.3% |
| 2010 | 17.49 | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 16.32 | -6.7% |
| 2020 | 16.35 | +0.2% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 16.35 is below the median for high income countries, which is 23.76, 69% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 16.35 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 12.01, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.62 | 47.72 | 49.51 | 2 |
| 1960s | 44.62 | 43.53 | 45.71 | 2 |
| 1970s | 39.29 | 37.53 | 41.04 | 2 |
| 1980s | 32.47 | 30.24 | 34.69 | 2 |
| 1990s | 24.81 | 23.13 | 26.49 | 2 |
| 2000s | 19.8 | 18.72 | 20.88 | 2 |
| 2010s | 16.91 | 16.32 | 17.49 | 2 |
| 2020s | 16.35 | 16.35 | 16.35 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 173 India 16.61 compare
- 174 Sao Tome and Principe 16.56 compare
- 175 China 16.36 compare
- 177 Netherlands 15.7 compare
- 178 Afghanistan 15.59 compare
- 179 Guam 15.47 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 share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Saudi Arabia was 16.35 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.51 in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.32 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).