In 2022, ** percent of the population in Saudi Arabia lived in urban centers, whereas the remaining ** percent resided in rural areas. Since 2000, the country has witnessed a steady increase in urbanization, in addition to the influx of foreign workers, both of which have contributed to the significant disparity between urban and rural dwellers. By 2023, the GDP per capita in the country is expected to reach approximately 32,580 U.S. dollars.

Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available. Saudi Arabia data available from WorldPop here.

The share of the population in Saudi Arabia between the age of 15 and 34 was approximately 36.7 percent in 2020. This was the highest percentage of Saudi population among all age groups.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Saudi Arabia was reported at 14.97 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Saudi Arabia - Population density (people per sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

This statistic illustrates the distribution of adult population in Saudi Arabia in 2019 by wealth range group. That year, approximately **** percent of adults in Saudi Arabia had wealth of 10,000 to 100,000 U.S. dollars.

Saudi Arabia SA: Population Density: People per Square Km data was reported at 15.322 Person/sq km in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.014 Person/sq km for 2016. Saudi Arabia SA: Population Density: People per Square Km data is updated yearly, averaging 7.329 Person/sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2017, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.322 Person/sq km in 2017 and a record low of 1.963 Person/sq km in 1961. Saudi Arabia SA: Population Density: People per Square Km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Saudi Arabia – Table SA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.; ; Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates.; Weighted average;

Saudi Arabia: Population density, people per square km: The latest value from 2021 is 17 people per square km, unchanged from 17 people per square km in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 456 people per square km, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Saudi Arabia from 1961 to 2021 is 8 people per square km. The minimum value, 2 people per square km, was reached in 1961 while the maximum of 17 people per square km was recorded in 2019.

Historical chart and dataset showing Saudi Arabia population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

The largest age group in Saudi Arabia was between 15 to 64 year old at about 72 percent of the population. There were sustained investments in the health sector improving key health indicators in the country prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.

Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 30 arc-seconds (approximately 1km at the equator)

-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population UN adjusted count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel, adjusted to match the country total from the official United Nations population estimates (UN 2019), by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00674

Explore the population data by gender, age, and nationality in Saudi Arabia. Find insights on Saudi and Non-Saudi individuals, including breakdowns for males, females, and total population.

Saudi, Non-Saudi, Male, Total, Female Saudi ArabiaFollow data.kapsarc.org for timely data to advance energy economics research..Mid-year estimates

In 2022, the population density in Saudi Arabia increased by 0.7 inhabitants per square kilometer (+4.89 percent) compared to 2021. Therefore, the population density in Saudi Arabia reached a peak in 2022 with 14.97 inhabitants per square kilometer. Population density refers to the average number of residents per square kilometer of land across a given country or region. It is calculated by dividing the total midyear population by the total land area.Find more key insights for the population density in countries like Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 65-69: % of Female Population data was reported at 1.365 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.268 % for 2016. Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 65-69: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 1.306 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.737 % in 1960 and a record low of 1.139 % in 2001. Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 65-69: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Saudi Arabia – Table SA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 65 to 69 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Constrained estimates, total number of people per grid-cell. The dataset is available to download in Geotiff format at a resolution of 3 arc (approximately 100m at the equator). The projection is Geographic Coordinate System, WGS84. The units are number of people per pixel. The mapping approach is Random Forest-based dasymetric redistribution.

More information can be found in the Release Statement

The difference between constrained and unconstrained is explained on this page: https://www.worldpop.org/methods/top_down_constrained_vs_unconstrained

This bar chart displays population (people) by currency using the aggregation sum in Saudi Arabia. The data is about countries per year.

As of 2022, Saudi Arabia had a relatively young population, with about ** percent of the Saudi household members being of age 39 or younger. The largest age group was 10–19 years old, which accounted for about ** percent of the Saudi household members that year.

Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 45-49: % of Female Population data was reported at 5.904 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.588 % for 2016. Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 45-49: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 3.437 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.904 % in 2017 and a record low of 2.562 % in 1994. Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 45-49: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Saudi Arabia – Table SA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 45 to 49 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data was reported at 8.661 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.873 % for 2016. Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 8.485 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.933 % in 2011 and a record low of 7.802 % in 1994. Saudi Arabia SA: Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Saudi Arabia – Table SA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 20 to 24 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

The largest population group in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia consisted of **** million male nationals and about **** million female Saudi nationals in 2018. Female foreigners numbered an estimated **** million - less than half of the number of male foreigners dwelling in Saudi Arabia. According to estimates, the total population of Saudi Arabia during this time period was 33.2 million people.   Regional context    Though Saudi Arabia, with a landmass of **** million square kilometers, is the largest Middle Eastern country, population wise it in the midfield. This results in a low population density in Saudi Arabia of only 15.3 inhabitants per square kilometer. Saudi Arabia has a unique position within the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as approximately two thirds of the population are Saudi Arabian nationals – unlike the other countries in the subregion were the citizens are the minority of the population.   Population development    The population of Saudi Arabia grew between 2011 and 2017 by 3.1 percent. This is reflected in Saudi Arabia’s relatively young population with a median age of 29.8 years. The average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia is increasing as well, which indicates social and economic improvement within the country.

This bar chart displays population (people) by region using the aggregation sum in Saudi Arabia. The data is about countries per year.