Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 84.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
84.6%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
57th
of 238 countries
All-time high
84.6%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Saudi Arabia, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 84.6% for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Saudi Arabia peaked at 84.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Saudi Arabia 57th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.7% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 2.2% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 2.5% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 2.7% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 3.0% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 3.2% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 3.5% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 3.9% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 4.2% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 4.7% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 5.1% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 5.6% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 6.1% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 6.7% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 7.3% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 8.0% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 8.8% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 9.6% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 10.6% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 11.6% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 12.7% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 13.9% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 15.2% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 16.6% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 18.2% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 19.9% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 21.3% | +6.8% |
| 1951 | 22.0% | +3.3% |
| 1952 | 22.8% | +3.6% |
| 1953 | 23.6% | +3.8% |
| 1954 | 24.6% | +3.9% |
| 1955 | 25.6% | +4.1% |
| 1956 | 26.6% | +4.2% |
| 1957 | 27.8% | +4.2% |
| 1958 | 28.9% | +4.2% |
| 1959 | 30.2% | +4.2% |
| 1960 | 31.4% | +4.2% |
| 1961 | 32.8% | +4.2% |
| 1962 | 34.1% | +4.1% |
| 1963 | 35.6% | +4.3% |
| 1964 | 37.2% | +4.6% |
| 1965 | 39.0% | +4.8% |
| 1966 | 40.9% | +4.9% |
| 1967 | 42.9% | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 45.0% | +4.8% |
| 1969 | 47.1% | +4.6% |
| 1970 | 49.2% | +4.4% |
| 1971 | 51.2% | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 53.2% | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 55.1% | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 56.8% | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 58.4% | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 60.1% | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 61.7% | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 63.3% | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 64.9% | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 66.4% | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 67.9% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 69.3% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 70.6% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 71.8% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 72.9% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 73.9% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 74.8% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 75.6% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 76.3% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 77.0% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 77.6% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 78.0% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 78.3% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 78.6% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 78.9% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 79.2% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 79.4% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 79.6% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 79.8% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 80.0% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 80.2% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 80.3% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 80.5% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 80.8% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 81.0% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 81.2% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 81.4% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 81.6% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 81.9% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 82.1% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 82.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 82.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 82.6% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 82.8% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 83.0% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 83.1% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 83.3% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 83.5% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 83.6% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 83.8% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 84.0% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 84.1% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 84.3% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 84.5% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 84.6% | +0.2% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 84.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 84.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 79.5%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1700s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1710s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1720s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1730s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1740s | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1 |
| 1750s | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1 |
| 1760s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
| 1770s | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1 |
| 1780s | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1 |
| 1790s | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1 |
| 1800s | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1 |
| 1810s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1 |
| 1820s | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 1 |
| 1830s | 7.3% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 1 |
| 1840s | 8.0% | 8.0% | 8.0% | 1 |
| 1850s | 8.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 1 |
| 1860s | 9.6% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 1 |
| 1870s | 10.6% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 1 |
| 1880s | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 1 |
| 1890s | 12.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 1 |
| 1900s | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 1 |
| 1910s | 15.2% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 1 |
| 1920s | 16.6% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 18.2% | 18.2% | 18.2% | 1 |
| 1940s | 19.9% | 19.9% | 19.9% | 1 |
| 1950s | 25.3% | 21.3% | 30.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 38.6% | 31.4% | 47.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.4% | 49.2% | 64.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 72.0% | 66.4% | 76.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.6% | 77.0% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.9% | 80.0% | 81.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.9% | 82.1% | 83.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.2% | 83.8% | 84.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 54 United Arab Emirates 86.0% compare
- 55 Switzerland 85.7% compare
- 56 Peru 85.6% compare
- 58 New Zealand 84.0% compare
- 59 Norway 83.6% compare
- 60 United Kingdom 83.3% compare
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Saudi Arabia?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Saudi Arabia was 84.6% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 84.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Saudi Arabia ranks 57th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.