In 2023, the total population of Egypt amounted to ***** million inhabitants, making it the most-populous country in the Middle East-North Africa region.

The share of the population with overweight in Saudi Arabia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 2.2 percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the overweight population share is estimated to reach 74.67 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the share of the population with overweight of was continuously increasing over the past years.Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the share of the population with overweight in countries like Kuwait and Jordan.

This statistic shows the degree of urbanization in the Arab world (Arab League) countries in 2022. Urbanization is defined as the share of urban population in the total population. In 2022, 75.27 percent of the total population of Algeria lived in urban areas.

In the Middle Eastern region, the share of the population that earned at least the equivalent of the highest ** percent of global income earners as of 2022 in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms was **** percent. Saudi Arabia topped the list with the highest share of middle-class and above category of consumers in the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia the share of middle class and above consumer share was 100 percent.

In the Middle East, the share of the population that earned at least the equivalent of the highest 10 percent of global income earners as of 2022 in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms was 31.1 percent. Qatar topped the list with the highest share of the upper or high-class category consumers in the Middle East, at 83.6 percent.

The share of the population with overweight in Qatar was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total two percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the overweight population share is estimated to reach 77.01 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the share of the population with overweight of was continuously increasing over the past years.Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the share of the population with overweight in countries like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

In 2023, the total population in the Arab World increased by **** million inhabitants (+**** percent) compared to 2022. Therefore, the total population in the Arab World reached a peak in 2023 with ****** million inhabitants. Notably, the total population continuously increased over the last years.The total population of a country refers to the de facto number of people residing in a country, regardless of citizenship or legal status.

The total population in the Middle East and Africa region was approximately *** million in 2018. It was expected to increase to *** million in 2030, and almost double by 2050 to reach about *** million. Demographics The Middle East and Africa region includes ** countries, which is approximately of six percent of the population of the world. The population is characterized with an above average fertility rate of ***, compared to the global fertility rate of ****. Due to the decrease in death rates due to the introduction of modern medicine, combined with the steady birth rates, the population of the MENA region is expected to continue growing in the future. Population growth might cause governmental burden in the future as governments try to decrease poverty rates, provide healthcare, and education to the larger number of people. The Arab spring In 2011, a series of demonstrations spread across many Arab countries to overthrow oppressive governments and dictators. It initiated from Tunisia, and spread to other countries including Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria. The instability caused by the Arab spring affected international oil supply and prices, as the MENA region owns ** percent of the world’s oil reserves and ** percent of its natural gas reserves which makes it an important global economic stability factor. Some countries succeeded in overthrowing their oppressive governments, while other protests resulted in social violence and civil wars. The instability forced ** million people to seek refuge in neighboring countries. It was declared as the worst refugee crisis after World War II.

The statistic shows the percentage of Shiites in the population of selected countries in the Middle East. In Iran, about 92.5 percent of the population are Shiites.

This statistic shows the 10 countries in Middle East-North Africa with the largest number of Christians in 2010. 4.29 million Christians lived in Egypt.

The number of smokers in the United Arab Emirates was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.1 million individuals (+4.13 percent). After the fourteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of smokers is estimated to reach 2.53 million individuals and therefore a new peak in 2029. Shown is the estimated share of the adult population (15 years or older) in a given region or country, that smoke. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco, be it on a daily or non-daily basis.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smokers in countries like Kuwait and Lebanon.

The number of smokers in Saudi Arabia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.4 million individuals (+8.85 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of smokers is estimated to reach 4.88 million individuals and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smokers of was continuously increasing over the past years.Shown is the estimated share of the adult population (15 years or older) in a given region or country, that smoke. According to the WHO and World bank, smoking refers to the use of cigarettes, pipes or other types of tobacco, be it on a daily or non-daily basis.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smokers in countries like Qatar and Oman.

Female fertility was the highest in Yemen in 2019 at an approximate of 3.7 births per woman, followed by Iraq and Palestine at about 3.6 and 3.56 births per woman respectively. In comparison, the United Arab Emirates had the lowest fertility rate of about 1.4 births per woman in 2019.

Fertility rates over time

Fertility rates have been declining over the years from 2.9 in 2010 to 2.8 in 2018 in the Middle East and Africa region. The population of a country starts declining due to the decline in fertility rates when the fertility rate drops below the threshold of approximately 2.1. This effect is more prominent in countries with high child mortality rates as child survival is one of the main factors affecting fertility rates. Parents are more likely to attempt to replace lost children or have more children as insurance when experiencing early child mortality. In the MENA region, child mortality witnessed a significant decline over the past decade.

Factors affecting female fertility

The variation in fertility rates across countries is very evident. Developed countries have lower fertility rates between 1 to 3 births per female, while developing countries have higher rates that could reach 7 births per female. Female fertility rates drop as countries develop economically. It was found that a higher income and education decreases female fertility. Increasing the employment of women also reduces female fertility as it increases their opportunity cost of bearing children.

This statistic presents the most popular social networks in Arab countries as of November 2014, based on reach. During the survey period it was found that 87 percent of social media users had a Facebook account.

The annual population growth in the Arab World declined to 2.19 percent in 2023. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher population growth than the preceding years.Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.

As of mid-2024, there were a total of nearly 2.4 million refugees under the UNHCR's mandate living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Of these, the highest number was found in Lebanon, reaching nearly 780,000. Jordan followed behind with 661,000. At the same time, the highest number of refugees in the world came from Syria, which borders both Lebanon and Jordan.

As of February 2025, China ranked first among the countries with the most internet users worldwide. The world's most populated country had 1.11 billion internet users, more than triple the third-ranked United States, with just around 322 million internet users. Overall, all BRIC markets had over two billion internet users, accounting for four of the ten countries with more than 100 million internet users. Worldwide internet usage As of October 2024, there were more than five billion internet users worldwide. There are, however, stark differences in user distribution according to region. Eastern Asia is home to 1.34 billion internet users, while African and Middle Eastern regions had lower user figures. Moreover, the urban areas showed a higher percentage of internet access than rural areas. Internet use in China China ranks first in the list of countries with the most internet users. Due to its ongoing and fast-paced economic development and a cultural inclination towards technology, more than a billion of the estimated 1.4 billion population in China are online. As of the third quarter of 2023, around 87 percent of Chinese internet users stated using WeChat, the most popular social network in the country. On average, Chinese internet users spent five hours and 33 minutes online daily.

In Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, and Qatar, almost all the population had access to safely managed drinking water in 2022. By comparison, less than half had the same in Lebanon, Moreover, numbers were unavailable for conflict-ridden countries such as Yemen, Syria, and Sudan.

This graph shows the percentage of the population in Arab countries accessing the internet via mobile or desktop devices. As of 2012, the majority of the population in all listed countries browsed the internet via desktop devices-- just under 98 percent of the population in Algeria, and more than 95 percent in Tunisia for example. The highest share of the population accessing the internet via mobile devices was found in Sudan, at more than 45 percent.

In 2030, the number of mobile internet users in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) was forecast to reach around 422 million, up from 327 million in 2023. The mobile internet penetration rate in the region was projected to reach around 58 percent of the population by 2030. GCC technology adoption   Investments in technological innovation, notably in 5G technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, have risen dramatically in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. 5G solutions were introduced in the region in 2019 and will be the primary focus of smartphone users and gaming companies in 2020. In 2019, the majority of the population in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reported a willingness to adopt 5G connections as soon as they become available in the market, but only around a fifth expected positive response after installation . The Middle East outperforms the rest of the world in terms of the rate at which new technologies are adopted, aided by the strong top-down attitude of local governments. Technology sector post COVID-19 in MENA     COVID-19 caused the suspension or cancellation of IT projects in the MENA region. IT investment will likely recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 as the region's situation improves and firms realize the full benefits of a strong digital environment. Cloud management and security services in the MENA area are expected to be valued at 226 million U.S. dollars in 2020. People were more likely to use online choices for shopping, communication, and remote working during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, which resulted in lockdowns and the closure of businesses, restaurants, and supermarkets. Every nation in the area has seen a significant surge in the usage of mobile applications, notably Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. In 2022, the region's spending on communication services in the information technology industry was estimated to exceed 120 billion U.S. dollars.