Population of Saudi Arabia: regions and 60 cities
The 2022 Saudi census as published by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT): the population of Saudi Arabia and its 13 administrative regions, and of the cities whose weekly spending we publish, with their governorates. These figures are the denominator we use for spending “per resident”. Added 29 September 2026 (18 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH).
Administrative regions
| Region | Population | Saudis % | Males % | Share of Saudi Arabia % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 32,175,224 | 58.4 | 61.2 | — |
| Riyadh | 8,591,748 | 51.7 | 62.6 | 26.7 |
| Makkah | 8,021,463 | 51.8 | 60.8 | 24.9 |
| Eastern Province | 5,125,254 | 57.6 | 63.8 | 15.9 |
| Madinah | 2,137,983 | 63.2 | 59.8 | 6.6 |
| Qassim | 1,336,179 | 69.3 | 59.3 | 4.2 |
| Asir | 2,024,285 | 71.4 | 59.3 | 6.3 |
| Tabuk | 886,036 | 72.0 | 59.6 | 2.8 |
| Hail | 746,406 | 70.7 | 59.4 | 2.3 |
| Jazan | 1,404,997 | 71.4 | 57.0 | 4.4 |
| Najran | 592,300 | 66.7 | 59.1 | 1.8 |
| Al-Baha | 339,174 | 74.1 | 57.3 | 1.1 |
| Al-Jouf | 595,822 | 73.9 | 58.0 | 1.9 |
| Northern Borders | 373,577 | 72.6 | 57.4 | 1.2 |
What this means for your decision: population alone does not say where demand is; divide a city’s spending by it to see spending per resident, and compare the shares of Saudis and non-Saudis if your customers are mostly one of them.
Cities whose spending we publish
The population of the city itself as defined by the census, and next to it the population of its whole governorate (the city and its surroundings). Select a city name for its spending page.
| City | City population | Governorate population | Saudis % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh | 6,924,566 | 7,009,120 | 47.8 |
| Jeddah | 3,712,917 | 3,751,722 | 45.7 |
| Makkah | 2,385,509 | 2,427,924 | 44.5 |
| Madinah | 1,411,599 | 1,477,047 | 58.5 |
| Dammam | 1,386,166 | 1,532,326 | 48.9 |
| Tabuk | 594,350 | 623,665 | 72.4 |
| Buraidah | 571,169 | 677,647 | 64.7 |
| Taif | 563,282 | 913,374 | 67.5 |
| Khamis Mushait | 535,065 | 601,305 | 60.6 |
| Hail | 448,623 | 498,575 | 64.9 |
| Al Hofuf | 430,105 | 1,104,267 | 67.0 |
| Al Khobar | 409,549 | 658,550 | 34.8 |
| Hafar Al-Batin | 387,096 | 467,007 | 68.6 |
| Najran | 381,431 | 421,902 | 64.2 |
| Abha | 334,290 | 422,243 | 66.0 |
| Jubail | 302,446 | 505,162 | 21.1 |
| Al Mubarraz | 299,501 | 1,104,267 | 79.2 |
| Al Kharj | 295,462 | 373,177 | 66.8 |
| Yanbu | 258,777 | 359,631 | 56.2 |
| Sakaka | 204,174 | 236,669 | 65.6 |
| Arar | 199,247 | 202,719 | 72.4 |
| Unaizah | 183,319 | 184,644 | 66.9 |
| Jazan | 173,919 | 200,911 | 54.9 |
| Al Qurayyat | 167,080 | 195,016 | 74.7 |
| Dhahran | 143,936 | 1,532,326 | 58.2 |
| Bisha | 115,537 | 202,096 | 65.8 |
| Al Rass | 107,902 | 121,359 | 70.1 |
| Muhayil | 97,967 | 230,537 | 59.8 |
| Al Baha | 90,515 | 90,515 | 61.0 |
| Sharurah | 89,456 | 100,199 | 66.5 |
| Qatif | 87,332 | 552,442 | 73.4 |
| Al Duwadimi | 86,861 | 200,620 | 71.5 |
| Saihat | 84,818 | 552,442 | 79.3 |
| Ahad Rafidah | 79,202 | 107,894 | 79.3 |
| Al Khafji | 78,691 | 84,316 | 67.6 |
| Tabarjal | 78,354 | 109,796 | 80.2 |
| Wadi Al-Dawasir | 77,433 | 91,535 | 74.0 |
| Rabigh | 72,928 | 112,383 | 52.0 |
| Sabya | 72,086 | 223,083 | 53.6 |
| Al Majmaah | 70,243 | 151,877 | 65.9 |
| Abu Arish | 69,632 | 187,060 | 60.9 |
| Al Zulfi | 68,317 | 74,903 | 70.1 |
| Rafha | 63,929 | 84,536 | 75.3 |
| Turaif | 61,395 | 66,004 | 71.5 |
| Al Muzahimiyah | 55,604 | 62,760 | 70.4 |
| Al Badai | 48,474 | 53,779 | 78.8 |
| Afif | 47,340 | 71,616 | 76.0 |
| Umluj | 46,229 | 69,656 | 69.5 |
| Safwa | 45,676 | 552,442 | 85.5 |
| Samtah | 43,301 | 154,926 | 56.5 |
| Al Bukayriyah | 43,229 | 63,551 | 66.3 |
| Al Qunfudhah | 42,447 | 205,188 | 51.9 |
| AlUla | 40,760 | 60,103 | 72.3 |
| Al Nairiyah | 40,023 | 63,815 | 67.8 |
| Baish | 32,679 | 86,996 | 56.0 |
| Shaqra | 32,215 | 46,403 | 64.6 |
| Al Quwayiyah | 28,589 | 71,410 | 67.4 |
| Ahad Al Masarihah | 25,670 | 130,545 | 58.2 |
| Al Lith | 20,811 | 73,753 | 70.9 |
| Al Darb | 5,216 | 68,965 | 54.0 |
Population density and growth by region
How many people live on each square kilometre in each region, and the annual population growth rate, as GASTAT publishes them in its statistical database from 2010 (1431–1432 AH) to 2022 (1443–1444 AH). Highest density in 2022 (1443–1444 AH): Jazan (104.6 people/km²); lowest: Northern Borders (4.0). The median age in Saudi Arabia is 29 years: 22 for Saudis and 34 for non-Saudis (national only; GASTAT does not publish it by region).
| Region | Density 2022 (people/km²) | Density 2010 | Growth 2020 % | Growth 2021 % | Growth 2022 % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 16.5 | 12.3 | +5.0 | −2.4 | +4.5 |
| Jazan | 104.6 | 79.1 | +4.2 | −1.1 | +3.7 |
| Makkah | 57.5 | 45.5 | +4.9 | −3.6 | +4.3 |
| Al-Baha | 30.2 | 23.4 | +3.8 | −1.0 | +3.5 |
| Asir | 25.7 | 18.7 | +4.4 | −0.8 | +4.2 |
| Riyadh | 22.5 | 16.3 | +5.6 | −2.9 | +5.1 |
| Qassim | 19.3 | 14.9 | +4.0 | −1.6 | +3.7 |
| Madinah | 14.8 | 11.2 | +4.6 | −2.0 | +4.1 |
| Eastern Province | 9.5 | 6.8 | +5.3 | −2.2 | +5.0 |
| Al-Jouf | 6.9 | 5.2 | +4.0 | −0.8 | +3.6 |
| Tabuk | 6.5 | 4.7 | +4.4 | −0.7 | +4.1 |
| Hail | 5.8 | 4.1 | +4.6 | −0.6 | +4.3 |
| Najran | 4.6 | 3.3 | +4.8 | −1.2 | +4.4 |
| Northern Borders | 4.0 | 2.9 | +4.4 | −0.6 | +3.9 |
- Choosing between regions: Density says how close together people live in your region; growth says whether their number is rising. High density with negative growth is a shrinking market; low density with high growth is a widening one. Read growth before density.
A description of what the figures say, not advice; the decision is yours.
- Density is over the whole area of a region (deserts and mountains included), so it does not describe how crowded a particular city is; this is why the Eastern Province looks sparse although it has dense cities.
- Growth comes from the estimates revised after the 2022 census; its swings between years (such as negative values in some years) come from revisions and the movement of non-Saudis, not from a full annual count. Read the direction over several years, not one.
- The census figures are a snapshot at the census (2022) and are not updated yearly by city; GASTAT’s newer estimates are for Saudi Arabia and the regions only. The last year published for density and growth is 2022 (1443–1444 AH); we do not estimate later years.
- “City” follows census boundaries, and “governorate” is the administrative unit that contains it; some large cities almost equal their governorate and some are much smaller.
- We matched city names to the Saudi Central Bank’s names in the spending data; a city without a spending page appears without a link.
Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia — 2022 Saudi census (population by region, governorate and city), and population density, growth rate and median age, the official source of the original data. DataPulse organised the data and made calculations on it (such as percentage changes and regrouping). This processing and its results are ours; they are not an official statistic issued by GASTAT and do not imply its endorsement.
Reuse terms: GASTAT data use policy. We do not use GASTAT’s logo or marks.
The attribution statement in Arabic (the Arabic text governs; the English above is a summary)
المصدر: الهيئة العامة للإحصاء (المملكة العربية السعودية) — تعداد السعودية 2022 (السكان حسب المنطقة والمحافظة والمدينة)، والكثافة السكانية ومعدل النمو السكاني ووسيط العمر، وهي المصدر الرسمي للبيانات الأصلية. أجرت «نبض البيانات» على البيانات تنظيمًا وحسابًا (مثل: حساب نسب التغيّر وإعادة التجميع). هذه المعالجة والنتائج من إعدادنا وليست إحصاءً رسميًا صادرًا عن الهيئة، ولا تعني تزكية منها.
شروط إعادة الاستخدام: سياسة استخدام بيانات الهيئة. لا نستخدم شعار الهيئة ولا علاماتها.
Files: census2022_population.csv (1,420 rows: Saudi Arabia, the regions, 150 governorates and 60 cities; total, Saudi/non-Saudi, male/female) · gastat-population-indicators-annual.csv (density and growth, retrieved 30 September 2026 (19 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH)). Hijri dates use the Umm al-Qura calendar.