Urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Urban population, annual growth rate was 4.93 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia stood at 4.93 % change on previous year.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia peaked at 8.97 % change on previous year in 1968 and was at its lowest, -2.32 % change on previous year, in 2018.
That places Saudi Arabia 7th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.06 % change on previous year | — |
| 1962 | 8.01 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 8.21 % change on previous year | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 8.58 % change on previous year | +4.5% |
| 1965 | 8.8 % change on previous year | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 8.9 % change on previous year | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 8.96 % change on previous year | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 8.97 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 8.93 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 8.86 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 8.87 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 8.91 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 8.83 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 8.59 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 8.42 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 8.48 % change on previous year | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 8.6 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 8.66 % change on previous year | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 8.64 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 8.55 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 8.52 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 8.49 % change on previous year | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 8.29 % change on previous year | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 7.95 % change on previous year | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 7.52 % change on previous year | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 7.24 % change on previous year | -3.6% |
| 1987 | 7.06 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 6.62 % change on previous year | -6.2% |
| 1989 | 6.23 % change on previous year | -5.9% |
| 1990 | 5.97 % change on previous year | -4.1% |
| 1991 | 5.65 % change on previous year | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 5.3 % change on previous year | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 4.99 % change on previous year | -5.8% |
| 1994 | 4.78 % change on previous year | -4.2% |
| 1995 | 4.59 % change on previous year | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 4.4 % change on previous year | -4.1% |
| 1997 | 4.22 % change on previous year | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 4.07 % change on previous year | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 3.94 % change on previous year | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 4.8 % change on previous year | +22.1% |
| 2001 | 5.58 % change on previous year | +16.2% |
| 2002 | 5.35 % change on previous year | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 5.15 % change on previous year | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 4.98 % change on previous year | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 4.82 % change on previous year | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 4.66 % change on previous year | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 4.52 % change on previous year | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 4.39 % change on previous year | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 4.27 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 2010 | -0.7278 % change on previous year | -117.0% |
| 2011 | 4.87 % change on previous year | -768.7% |
| 2012 | 4.52 % change on previous year | -7.2% |
| 2013 | 5.79 % change on previous year | +28.1% |
| 2014 | 2.7 % change on previous year | -53.4% |
| 2015 | 5.55 % change on previous year | +105.5% |
| 2016 | 4.03 % change on previous year | -27.3% |
| 2017 | 0.2814 % change on previous year | -93.0% |
| 2018 | -2.32 % change on previous year | -925.4% |
| 2019 | -0.2377 % change on previous year | -89.8% |
| 2020 | 5.16 % change on previous year | -2271.8% |
| 2021 | -2.24 % change on previous year | -143.4% |
| 2022 | 4.72 % change on previous year | -310.6% |
| 2023 | 4.95 % change on previous year | +4.8% |
| 2024 | 4.94 % change on previous year | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 4.93 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2271.8% | -0.2377 % change on previous year | 5.16 % change on previous year |
| 2018 | -925.4% | 0.2814 % change on previous year | -2.32 % change on previous year |
| 2011 | +768.7% | -0.7278 % change on previous year | 4.87 % change on previous year |
| 2022 | +310.6% | -2.24 % change on previous year | 4.72 % change on previous year |
| 2021 | -143.4% | 5.16 % change on previous year | -2.24 % change on previous year |
| 2010 | -117.0% | 4.27 % change on previous year | -0.7278 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.6 % change on previous year | 8.01 % change on previous year | 8.97 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.69 % change on previous year | 8.42 % change on previous year | 8.91 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.65 % change on previous year | 6.23 % change on previous year | 8.55 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.79 % change on previous year | 3.94 % change on previous year | 5.97 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.85 % change on previous year | 4.27 % change on previous year | 5.58 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.44 % change on previous year | -2.32 % change on previous year | 5.79 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.74 % change on previous year | -2.24 % change on previous year | 5.16 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 4 Niger 5.13 % change on previous year compare
- 5 Mozambique 5.07 % change on previous year compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 4.97 % change on previous year compare
- 8 Tanzania, United Republic of 4.93 % change on previous year compare
- 9 Uganda 4.91 % change on previous year compare
- 10 Mali 4.91 % change on previous year compare
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 urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia?
- Urban population, annual growth rate in Saudi Arabia was 4.93 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.97 % change on previous year in 1968.
- What is the lowest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.32 % change on previous year in 2018.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for urban population, annual growth rate?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 7th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population, annual growth rate rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
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.
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
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.