Saudi Arabia’s population stands at 32,175,224, according to the Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics.
The figure was announced as a result of the Kingdom’s 2022 census.
Of the total number, Saudis make up 18.8m (58.4 per cent), while non-Saudis, 13.4m, constitute 41.6 per cent of the population.
Saudi population census
Of the more than 32m people in Saudi Arabia, 19.7m (61.2%) are males and 12.5m (38.8%) are female.
The census also shows that the Kingdom has a young population, with the median age of 29 and a population of Saudis under 30 making up 63 per cent of the total.
The latest Saudi census data provides crucial statistics and insights required by government entities and the private sector to make decisions.
It is also critical to the drive to boost the investment environment in Saudi Arabia and deliver on the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.
Minister of Economy and Planning, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Statistics Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim said: “The Saudi census 2022 is an important national project, and its outputs will be a key pillar for planning and decision making, developing economic and social policy, creating development plans for various sectors and services, and supporting the investment environment in the Kingdom and achieving the Vision 2030 goals.”
He added: “We are exceptionally proud to have delivered a comprehensive and accurate census, and to have become an example of the best statistical practices in the world.”
The 2022 census is the most comprehensive and precise population survey conducted in the Kingdom’s history. The results are accurate more than 95%; they were based on follow-up phone calls to check data with a random sample of more than one million people.
The methodology used has been acknowledged by a large number of international experts as one of the most accurate in the world.
The 2022 census was conducted in line with the best international methodologies, and with the help of the latest technologies, such as satellites and self-enumeration technology.
In order to ensure the accuracy of census data, error monitoring and automated data correction techniques were deployed, such as more than one million phone calls, 900,000 field visits, and the use of advanced methods of data analysis and statistics.
Comparisons included five different data sources, and the data was reviewed by more than 200 indicators to confirm its accuracy.
In view of the evolution and change in the methodology used in the 2022 census, compared to that of 2010, (which relied mainly on field and paper work), GASTAT has backcasted the population from the previous years based on the results of the Saudi census 2022.
The use of backcasting is in line with international best practices and is utilised to reflect changes in census data resulting from improved methodologies.
The backcasted figures for previous years will be published on GASTAT’s website, in order to provide interested parties with the most accurate dataset available.
Comparing the 2022 census data with the backcasted 2010 data shows that the total population of Saudi Arabia has increased by 8.2m (34.2 per cent) since 2010, the number of Saudis has increased by 4.8m (33.8 per cent), and the number of non-Saudis has increased by 3.5m (34.7 per cent).
The 2022 census was conducted in May 2022 and is the fifth census in the history of KSA. It was originally due to be carried out in 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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