RIYADH: The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced the initial results of Saudi Arabia’s 2022 census on Wednesday, revealing that the country’s population stands at 32,175,224 million. Among the total population, Saudis make up 18.8 million (58.4%), while non-Saudis constitute 13.4 million (41.6%).
The census highlights the Kingdom’s youthful population, with a median age of 29, and Saudis under the age of 30 accounting for 63% of the total population. The male population reached 19.7 million, representing 61%, while females numbered 12.5 million, making up 39% of the population. Riyadh emerged as the largest Saudi city in terms of population, followed by Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, and Dammam.
Additionally, the average age of Saudis was reported as 25 years. The Kingdom’s residential places surpassed eight million, with apartments constituting 51% of the total. The census also provided insights into family composition, indicating that Saudi families totaled 4.2 million, with an average size of 4.8 persons per family. The proportion of males in Saudi families was similar to that of females, with males accounting for 50.2% and females 49.8%. Among non-Saudis in the Kingdom, the average size of family members was 2.7 individuals per family, with males comprising 76% of the total non-Saudi population.
While the initial results focused on population, households, and housing, data on education, health, employment, income, migration, and diversity will be announced in the following months. GASTAT plans to make the complete census results available on a dedicated website, providing interactive dashboards, maps, reports, tables, and charts.
Significance of Census for Saudi Arabia’s Economy
Faisal Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GASTAT, emphasized the significance of the 2022 census as a key element for planning, decision-making, and policy development, supporting economic growth, and achieving the goals of Vision 2030. The census, conducted with the highest international standards and utilizing advanced methodologies, has been hailed as one of the most accurate in the world.
The 2022 census reflects an increase of 8.2 million people (34.2%) in Saudi Arabia’s total population since 2010, with Saudis and non-Saudis witnessing growth rates of 33.8% and 34.7%, respectively.
The release of comprehensive and accurate census data demonstrates improvements in methodologies, data-capture technologies, and efficient coordination between government agencies. GASTAT’s commitment to privacy and data confidentiality has been upheld throughout the census process.
