Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 49.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Saudi Arabia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Saudi Arabia is 49.2%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Saudi Arabia peaked at 57.9% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 21.7%, in 1962.
That places Saudi Arabia 13th out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 22.4% | — |
| 1961 | 22.1% | -1.6% |
| 1962 | 21.7% | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 22.3% | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 23.8% | +6.7% |
| 1965 | 25.3% | +6.7% |
| 1966 | 27.0% | +6.7% |
| 1967 | 28.8% | +6.7% |
| 1968 | 30.7% | +6.6% |
| 1969 | 32.7% | +6.5% |
| 1970 | 34.8% | +6.4% |
| 1971 | 36.9% | +6.1% |
| 1972 | 39.1% | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 41.3% | +5.6% |
| 1974 | 43.5% | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 44.6% | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 45.3% | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 46.0% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 46.6% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 47.2% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 47.7% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 48.2% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 48.7% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 49.2% | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 49.7% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 50.4% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 51.1% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 51.9% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 52.8% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 53.9% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 55.1% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 56.4% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 57.9% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 57.6% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 56.9% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 56.2% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 55.7% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 55.2% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 54.8% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 54.4% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 53.6% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 52.5% | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 51.4% | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 50.5% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 49.7% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 49.5% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 49.5% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 49.5% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 49.1% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 48.8% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 51.0% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 50.4% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 49.9% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 48.9% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 49.3% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 48.4% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 48.2% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 49.8% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 52.8% | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 54.2% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 52.7% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 55.1% | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 53.7% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 52.2% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 50.7% | -2.9% |
| 2025 | 49.2% | -3.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 49.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 28.3%, 1.7× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 49.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 24.5%, 2.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 25.7% | 21.7% | 32.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 42.5% | 34.8% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.4% | 47.7% | 53.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.0% | 54.4% | 57.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.4% | 48.8% | 53.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.3% | 48.2% | 54.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.3% | 49.2% | 55.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More climate change data for Saudi Arabia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 134.54 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,043 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,830 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,213 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 79.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,017 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,002 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 15.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.78 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Saudi Arabia?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Saudi Arabia was 49.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 57.9% in 1992.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.7% in 1962.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 13th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.