The question
How do Saudis live: in villas or in apartments? And does that differ between regions and by household size?
The figure
According to the Housing Statistics Bulletin GASTAT published on 21 May 2026 (4 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH), dwellings occupied by Saudi households in 2025 (Rajab 1446 – Rajab 1447 AH) totalled 4,505,816.
Of these, 2,108,093 were apartments, or 46.8%, and 1,329,847 villas, or 29.5%. Then come traditional houses, 12.4%, and floors, 10.9%.
But individuals are spread differently: 40.0% of the members of Saudi households live in villas, and 37.3% in apartments. The difference shows in household size: 44.7% of households of 6 or more people live in villas, and 59.5% of one-person households live in apartments.
Regions: where the apartment, and where the villa?
The apartment is the most common type in 7 regions, the villa in 5, and the traditional house in one region, Jazan, at 36.3% of its dwellings.
Riyadh Region alone has 24.0% of the dwellings of Saudi households in Saudi Arabia.
- Highest share of apartments: Makkah 66.3%, Madinah 66.3% and Tabuk 58.3%.
- Highest share of villas: Qassim 50.1% and Riyadh 43.8%.
Apartments dominate in Makkah and Madinah, villas in Qassim and Riyadh
Share of each type of dwelling occupied by Saudi households, 2025. Highest share of apartments first.
| Region | Dwellings | Apartment | Villa | Floor | Traditional house | Households of 6 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 4,505,816 | 46.8% | 29.5% | 10.9% | 12.4% | 27.9% |
| Makkah | 1,072,902 | 66.3% | 15.6% | 5.9% | 12.0% | 19.7% |
| Madinah | 325,229 | 66.3% | 12.5% | 4.7% | 16.4% | 34.9% |
| Tabuk | 142,565 | 58.3% | 12.4% | 9.8% | 18.2% | 35.6% |
| Eastern Province | 719,566 | 48.0% | 35.1% | 8.9% | 7.2% | 29.5% |
| Al-Baha | 60,438 | 44.1% | 22.3% | 12.9% | 20.2% | 25.3% |
| Najran | 84,829 | 38.5% | 23.5% | 13.8% | 23.4% | 26.7% |
| Asir | 328,938 | 37.0% | 28.3% | 14.9% | 19.4% | 32.6% |
| Riyadh | 1,079,764 | 36.3% | 43.8% | 16.1% | 3.4% | 26.1% |
| Al-Jouf | 87,343 | 32.1% | 33.9% | 12.7% | 20.9% | 42.2% |
| Jazan | 226,305 | 31.5% | 21.7% | 10.4% | 36.3% | 32.6% |
| Northern Borders | 53,625 | 28.4% | 35.1% | 21.6% | 14.4% | 45.5% |
| Qassim | 209,234 | 21.4% | 50.1% | 16.7% | 11.1% | 33.7% |
| Hail | 115,078 | 17.8% | 43.3% | 10.2% | 28.7% | 31.8% |
Household size
In Saudi Arabia, 27.9% of dwellings are occupied by households of 6 or more people, and 16.7% by one person.
Large households are more present in the north: the highest share of households of 6 or more is in Northern Borders, 45.5% of dwellings, and the lowest in Makkah, 19.7%.
What this means for your decision
This describes what people live in; it is not a valuation of any property or of its price.
- For those looking for a home: the most common type in their region describes what people actually live in there; the apartment is the most common in Makkah and Madinah, and the villa is more present in Qassim and Riyadh than in the average for Saudi Arabia.
- For developers or contractors: across Saudi Arabia, large households live more in villas and small households more in apartments; the size of households in a region is part of the picture of demand there.
- For businesses serving homes, such as furniture, maintenance or delivery: the number and type of dwellings in the region describe the size and nature of what they serve.
An analytical reading, not financial advice; the decision and its responsibility are yours.
Limits of the figure
- Tenure is not published: the data do not say how many dwellings are owned or rented. We looked for it in the bulletin file and its six tables and did not find it, so we give no figure for it.
- The figures are for dwellings occupied by Saudi households only; dwellings of non-Saudi households are not included, nor are vacant dwellings.
- The bulletin comes from a sample survey for a single year, and shares in smaller regions are less precise.
- A “floor” in GASTAT’s classification is a separate floor in a building, a type different from an apartment.
Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia, 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 source statement in Arabic (the Arabic text governs; the English above is a summary)
المصدر: الهيئة العامة للإحصاء (المملكة العربية السعودية) — نشرة إحصاءات المساكن 2025 (المساكن المشغولة بأسر سعودية حسب المنطقة ونوع المسكن وحجم الأسرة)، 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.
Full official figures: Real estate and housing: the official figures · All insights(Arabic)
Translated from the Arabic reading; the Arabic text is the original. The original reading(Arabic)