Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Urban population, annual growth rate
Saudi Arabia
4.93 % change on previous year
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa
3.64 % change on previous year
in 2025
Saudi Arabia rank
7th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
7th
Urban population, annual growth rate over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 4.93 % change on previous year against 3.64 % change on previous year in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 1.29 % change on previous year.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.4 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 7th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 7th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 6 and Sub-Saharan Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.6 % change on previous year | 5.21 % change on previous year | 3.39 % change on previous year | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 8.69 % change on previous year | 5.32 % change on previous year | 3.36 % change on previous year | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 7.65 % change on previous year | 5.02 % change on previous year | 2.62 % change on previous year | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 4.79 % change on previous year | 4.21 % change on previous year | 0.5837 % change on previous year | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 4.85 % change on previous year | 4.21 % change on previous year | 0.6411 % change on previous year | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 2.44 % change on previous year | 3.94 % change on previous year | 1.5 % change on previous year | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2020s | 3.74 % change on previous year | 3.69 % change on previous year | 0.0509 % change on previous year | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population, annual growth rate, Saudi Arabia or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Saudi Arabia, at 4.93 % change on previous year against 3.64 % change on previous year in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population, annual growth rate between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 1.29 % change on previous year, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for urban population, annual growth rate?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 7th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 7th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Statizoid (derived), published as Urban population, annual growth rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.