Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Urban population growth
Urban population growth over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 4.8% against 3.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 1.2%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.3 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'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 (excluding high income) ranks 6th 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 | 8.3% | 5.1% | 3.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 8.3% | 5.2% | 3.1% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 7.4% | 4.9% | 2.5% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 4.7% | 4.1% | 0.6% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 4.1% | 0.6% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 3.9% | 1.5% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population growth, Saudi Arabia or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Saudi Arabia, at 4.8% against 3.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population growth between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 1.2%, 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 urban population growth?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 7th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.