Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita was 83.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita in Saudi Arabia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in Saudi Arabia stood at 83.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in Saudi Arabia peaked at 83.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 50.5%, in 1950.
That places Saudi Arabia 61st out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 50.5% | — |
| 1955 | 52.3% | +3.6% |
| 1960 | 54.3% | +3.8% |
| 1965 | 56.5% | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 59.0% | +4.4% |
| 1975 | 62.5% | +6.0% |
| 1980 | 65.3% | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 69.8% | +6.8% |
| 1990 | 73.5% | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 76.9% | +4.6% |
| 2000 | 79.1% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 81.3% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 82.5% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 83.7% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 83.6% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 51.4% | 50.5% | 52.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 55.4% | 54.3% | 56.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 60.7% | 59.0% | 62.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 67.5% | 65.3% | 69.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 75.2% | 73.5% | 76.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 80.2% | 79.1% | 81.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 83.1% | 82.5% | 83.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 83.6% | 83.6% | 83.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 58 Guam 84.5% compare
- 59 Afghanistan 84.4% compare
- 60 Netherlands 84.3% compare
- 62 China 83.6% compare
- 63 Sao Tome and Principe 83.4% compare
- 64 India 83.4% 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 cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in Saudi Arabia?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita in Saudi Arabia was 83.6% 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 cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 83.7% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.5% in 1950.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 61st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and suburbs vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 cities, towns and suburbs vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.