Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Urban population growth (annual %)
Urban population growth (annual %) over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 4.8% against 3.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), a difference of 1.2%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.3 times Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)'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 (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 6 and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) | 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 (IDA & IBRD countries) |
| 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 (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Saudi Arabia, at 4.8% against 3.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population growth between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 1.2%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank globally for urban population growth?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 7th and Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th 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.