Population and Demographics

Saudi Arabia's July 2007 population is estimated to be over 27 million; including about 5.5 million resident non-nationals. Until the 1960s, most of the population was nomadic or seminomadic; due to rapid economic and urban growth, more than 95% of the population is now settled. Some cities and oases have densities of more than 1,000 people per square kilometre. Saudi Arabia's population is characterised by rapid growth (2.06%) and a large cohort of youths (38.2% aged 14 or under).

Most Saudis are ethnically Arab. Some are of mixed ethnic origin and are descended from Turks, Iranians, Indonesians, Indians, Africans and others, most of who immigrated as pilgrims and reside in the Hijaz region along the Red Sea coast. Many Arabs from nearby countries are employed in the kingdom. There also are significant numbers of Asian expatriates mostly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was also a significant community of South Korean migrant labourers, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, but most have since returned home. There are fewer than 100,000 Westerners in Saudi Arabia, most of who live in private compounds in few cities such as Dhahran and Ras Tanura. The government prohibits non-Muslims from living in Mecca and Medinah.

The Saudi government states that all citizens must be Muslim. The majority of the population adheres to a strict theological interpretation within Islam most commonly known as Salafi or Wahhabism. The Shia population of the country is estimated at around 15%, primarily in the Eastern provinces, and larger cities.

The country allows religious minorities such as Christians and Hindus to enter the country as temporary workers, but does not allow them to practice their faiths. The US State departments suggest that there are 500,000 to 1 million people who adhere to the Catholic faith.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 27,601,038
  Note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,369,285/female 5,162,585)
  • 15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,316,694/female 7,089,370)
  • 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 348,827/female 314,277)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 21.4 years
  • Male: 22.9 years
  • Female: 19.6 years
• Population Growth Rate: 2.06%
• Birth Rate: 29.1 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 2.55 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: -5.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.314 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.196 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 12.41 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 14.24 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 75.88 years
  • Male: 73.85 years
  • Female: 78.02 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 3.94 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.01%
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Arab 90%
  • Afro-Asian 10%
• Religions:
  • Muslim 100%
• Languages:
  • Arabic
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 78.8%
  • Male: 84.7%
  • Female: 70.8%