Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Population growth (annual %) (World Population)
Population growth (annual %) (World Population) over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 4.6% against 2.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 2.2%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.9 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 5th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 6 and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 5.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 5.7% | 2.9% | 2.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 4.2% | 2.7% | 1.5% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 2.7% | 1.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 2.7% | 0.5% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 2.5% | 1.0% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population growth, Saudi Arabia or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Saudi Arabia, at 4.6% against 2.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population growth between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 2.2%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for population growth?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 5th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as Population growth (annual %). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.