At a glance
Twelve headline indicators, latest available year.
What changed in Saudi Arabia
Statistically notable movements in the latest data.
- Record high2023MajorMedian age reached a record high of 29.2 years in 2023 (series since 1950).
- Record high2024MajorTertiary enrolment reached a record high of 83.9 % in 2024 (series since 1971).
- Record high2025MajorPopulation reached a record high of 37.0M people in 2025 (series since 1960).
- Sharp rise2023MajorMedian age rose 0.5 years to 29.2 years in 2023 (largest rise since 2016).
- Record high2025MajorGDP reached a record high of US$ 1.3T in 2025 (series since 1960).
Countries similar to Saudi Arabia
Nearest peers by standardised distance on the selected dimension.
Country DNA
Percentile rank among all countries on nine dimensions. Descriptive, not a score.
2025
Key facts
Computed from the data — no model-generated numbers.
84.6 % of the population lived in urban areas in 2025, compared with 80.0 % in 2000.
Life expectancy gained 6.4 years since 2000, from 72.6 years to 79.0 years in 2024.
Unemployment of 3.0 % in 2025 is below the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan median of 8.7 %.
Renewables' share of electricity generation rose from 0.0 % in 2010 to 2.2 % in 2024 (+2.2 points).
Trade is worth 57.9 % of GDP (2025), below the world median of 79.8 %.
The fertility rate fell from 4.21 births/woman in 2000 to 2.31 births/woman in 2024.
Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd of 19 for GDP per capita (PPP) (intl $ 73,784, 2025).
Life expectancy of 79.0 years ranks 8th of 23 in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (2024).
With a median age of 29.2 years, Saudi Arabia ranks 118th of 216 countries worldwide (2023).
GDP per capita rose from US$ 11,715 in 2000 to US$ 34,537 in 2025 (+194.8 % in current US dollars).
100.0 % of people used the internet in 2024, up from 41.0 % in 2010.
CO₂ emissions of 20.38 t per person are 6.8× the world median of 2.99 t (2024).
Saudi Arabia's population grew 128.5 % between 2000 and 2025, from 16.2M people to 37.0M people.
GDP grew 3.2 % a year on average over 2014–2025.
Borders: Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Languages: Arabic
Timeline
Records, reversals and turning points across the whole history.
- 2025
- 2024
- Sharp riseTertiary enrolment rose 10.1 points to 83.9 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseTerrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) rose 2.9 points to 18.5 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropNet migration fell 203,521 people to 122,170 people in 2024.
- Sharp dropFossil fuel electricity share fell 1.1 points to 97.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseICT goods exports (% of total goods exports) rose 1.3 points to 2.2 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropContainer port traffic fell 29.4 % to 8.0M TEU in 2024.
- Sharp riseLow-carbon electricity share rose 1.1 points to 2.2 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropChildren out of school, primary fell 81.2 % to 17,458 children in 2024.
- Sharp riseSolar electricity share rose 1.1 points to 1.8 % in 2024.
- Sharp riseFDI outflows rose 0.8 points to 2.2 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropPrimary completion rate fell 20.5 points to 99.4 % in 2024.
- Record highLife expectancy set a new high of 79.0 years in 2024, the first since 2018.
- Sharp riseSelf-employed (% of total employment) rose 0.6 points to 5.6 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropSchool enrolment, secondary (% gross) fell 11.5 points to 110.7 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropTrade balance fell US$ 39.9B to US$ 29.7B in 2024.
- Record highTertiary enrolment set a new high of 83.9 % in 2024, the first since 2019.
- Sharp riseTertiary attainment rose 5.2 points to 36.0 % in 2024.
- Sharp dropCurrent account balance (US$) fell US$ 42.2B to US$ -16.3B in 2024.
- Sharp dropLabour force participation rate, female (ages 15+) fell 1.0 points to 33.3 % in 2024.
- ReversalCurrent account turned negative in 2024 (-1.3 %).
- ReversalCurrent account balance (US$) turned negative in 2024 (US$ -16.3B).
- ReversalInflation, GDP deflator turned positive in 2024 (0.3 %).
- Record highCO₂ emissions from oil set a new high of 451.5 Mt in 2024, the first since 2019.
- Record lowGDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) fell to a new low of PPP $ 131,865 in 2024, the first since 2016.
- Record highLife satisfaction set a new high of 6.60 /10 in 2024, the first since 2011.
- 2023
Explore Saudi Arabia by topic
19 topics · 254 indicators with data.
- Economy24 with data · 27 indicators
- Government & public finance12 with data · 18 indicators
- Population & demographics23 with data · 23 indicators
- Employment & wages12 with data · 19 indicators
- Income & inequality3 with data · 10 indicators
- Housing3 with data · 12 indicators
- Health22 with data · 23 indicators
- Education15 with data · 16 indicators
- Trade21 with data · 21 indicators
- Energy26 with data · 26 indicators
- Climate16 with data · 16 indicators
- Environment9 with data · 10 indicators
- Infrastructure & transportation10 with data · 10 indicators
- Digital economy & Internet6 with data · 6 indicators
- Innovation, research & technology9 with data · 9 indicators
- Agriculture & natural resources19 with data · 20 indicators
- Tourism5 with data · 5 indicators
- Security & governance8 with data · 15 indicators
- Quality of life11 with data · 14 indicators