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Index / Demographics
   Saudi Arabia /
Demographics
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Key figures
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Fertility
3.8 children/woman.
MENA rank: 16 of 22.
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Demographics
With comparison tables for all countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
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The indigenous population of Saudi Arabia doubled 11 times through the 20th century, a very high figure, but not dramatic considering that oil revenues that have permitted many projects of land reclamation and artificial water production.
Population growth rate has gone down significantly over recent years, from 3.4% in 1999 to 1.8% for 2009. There has been substantial decrease in the fertility rate, from 6.4 children per mother in 1999 to 3.8 in 2009. This is still a very high figure, and with a median age of 22 years, the situation is that there are a staggering 11 births to each death case.
The big question is then how can the population growth be is lower than the fertility rate? It usually is the opposite. The reason is one only, a reversal of the migration waves. Back in 1999 there used to be a net immigration of 1.4 per 1,000 inhabitants, now it is -7.6 per 1000, making Saudi Arabia one of the biggest exporters of people in the world: 220,000 more people will leave Saudi Arabia in 2009 alone than the ones moving to the country.
Fresh population projections for Saudi Arabia are far less dramatic than they were just a few years back, it is now suggested that 60 million will live here by 2050.
More information of demography is found in other Iran articles about ethnic composition, first languages spoken and religious adherence. There is also information relevant to demographics under education and health.
| Year |
Total |
Density
(per km²) |
Change |
Nationals |
Foreigners |
| 1900 |
1,500,000 |
0.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1910 |
1,750,000 |
0.8 |
17% |
|
|
|
|
| 1920 |
2,030,000 |
0.9 |
16% |
|
|
|
|
| 1930 |
2,370,000 |
1 |
17% |
|
|
|
|
| 1940 |
2,750,000 |
1 |
16% |
|
|
|
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| 1950 |
3,920,000 |
1 |
43% |
|
|
|
|
| 1960 |
4,790,000 |
2 |
22% |
|
|
|
|
| 1970 |
5,740,000 |
3 |
20% |
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|
|
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| 1980 |
9,600,000 |
4 |
67% |
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|
|
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| 1990 |
17,100,000 |
8 |
78% |
75% |
12,800,000 |
25% |
4,300,000 |
| 2000 |
22,000,000 |
10 |
29% |
76% |
16,640,000 |
24% |
5,360,000 |
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2009
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28,700,000 |
13 |
30% |
80% |
23,100,000 |
20% |
5,600,000 |
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