China vs Saudi Arabia: Number of people living in the capital city
China
11.84 million people
in 2100
Saudi Arabia
11.99 million people
in 2100
China rank
18th
Saudi Arabia rank
17th
Number of people living in the capital city over time
- China
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 11.99 million people against 11.84 million people in China, a difference of 157,100 people.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 17 shared years of data; in 2020 it was China ahead.
China ranks 18th and Saudi Arabia ranks 17th of 191 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, China averaged higher in 8 and Saudi Arabia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 16.75 million people | 6.60 million people | 10.14 million people | China |
| 2030s | 17.72 million people | 7.69 million people | 10.03 million people | China |
| 2040s | 18.09 million people | 8.56 million people | 9.53 million people | China |
| 2050s | 17.86 million people | 9.32 million people | 8.54 million people | China |
| 2060s | 16.94 million people | 9.98 million people | 6.95 million people | China |
| 2070s | 15.72 million people | 10.59 million people | 5.12 million people | China |
| 2080s | 14.35 million people | 11.17 million people | 3.18 million people | China |
| 2090s | 12.88 million people | 11.64 million people | 1.24 million people | China |
| 2100s | 11.84 million people | 11.99 million people | 157,100 people | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of people living in the capital city, China or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 11.99 million people against 11.84 million people in China as of 2100.
- What is the difference in number of people living in the capital city between China and Saudi Arabia?
- 157,100 people, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Saudi Arabia?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2020 to 2100.
- How do China and Saudi Arabia rank globally for number of people living in the capital city?
- China ranks 18th and Saudi Arabia ranks 17th of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of people living in the capital city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Projected total number of people living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.