The question
Where is the population growing fastest? Which regions grew faster than Saudi Arabia, and which more slowly?
The figure
Based on the annual population growth rates GASTAT publishes in its database, estimates that GASTAT revised after Census 2022, Saudi Arabia’s population grew from 2010 to 2022 (Muharram 1431 – Jumada al-Akhirah 1444 AH) by 34.2%, or 2.5% a year on average.
We calculated cumulative growth by multiplying the published rates for the 12 years, and checked it automatically against the change in population density GASTAT publishes for the same regions.
Fastest and slowest regions
Of 13 regions, the population of 7 grew faster than Saudi Arabia:
These regions are not in one part of the country: they include the north (Hail, Tabuk and Northern Borders), the south (Najran and Asir), the Eastern Province and Riyadh. Growth faster than Saudi Arabia’s was not confined to one part of it.
The slowest region is Makkah, 26.3%, or 2.0% a year, then Qassim 29.1% and Al-Baha 29.2%.
- Hail 41.3%, or 2.9% a year.
- The Eastern Province 40.5%, Najran 39.7% and Tabuk 38.8%.
- Northern Borders 38.3%, Riyadh 38.0% and Asir 37.7%.
7 regions whose population grew faster than Saudi Arabia
Cumulative population growth from 2010 to 2022 (Muharram 1431 – Jumada al-Akhirah 1444 AH). Fastest first.
| Region | Growth 2010–2022 | Annual average | Growth in 2022 | Density 2010 (people/km²) | Density 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 41.3% | 2.9% | 4.3% | 4.1 | 5.8 |
| Eastern Province | 40.5% | 2.9% | 5.0% | 6.8 | 9.5 |
| Najran | 39.7% | 2.8% | 4.4% | 3.3 | 4.6 |
| Tabuk | 38.8% | 2.8% | 4.1% | 4.7 | 6.5 |
| Northern Borders | 38.3% | 2.7% | 3.9% | 2.9 | 4.0 |
| Riyadh | 38.0% | 2.7% | 5.1% | 16.3 | 22.5 |
| Asir | 37.7% | 2.7% | 4.2% | 18.7 | 25.7 |
| Saudi Arabia | 34.2% | 2.5% | 4.5% | 12.3 | 16.5 |
| Al-Jouf | 34.0% | 2.5% | 3.6% | 5.2 | 6.9 |
| Jazan | 32.2% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 79.1 | 104.6 |
| Madinah | 31.9% | 2.3% | 4.1% | 11.2 | 14.8 |
| Al-Baha | 29.2% | 2.2% | 3.5% | 23.4 | 30.2 |
| Qassim | 29.1% | 2.2% | 3.7% | 14.9 | 19.3 |
| Makkah | 26.3% | 2.0% | 4.3% | 45.5 | 57.5 |
Growth was not steady
The series fluctuates: Saudi Arabia’s population fell in 3 years, 2018, 2019 and 2021, and Makkah Region’s population fell in 4 years. Growth then returned in 2022 (Jumada al-Ula 1443 – Jumada al-Akhirah 1444 AH) to 4.5% for Saudi Arabia, highest in Riyadh at 5.1%.
Density differs more than growth: 104.6 people per square kilometre in Jazan, 4.0 in Northern Borders, and 16.5 for Saudi Arabia.
What this means for your decision
The figures describe what happened up to 2022, and do not predict what will happen.
- For business owners: more people in a region means more people served by everyday activities there, such as groceries, schools and clinics. In a region that grew more slowly than Saudi Arabia, that number rose more slowly than the overall picture.
- For those who live in, or plan to move to, a region: growth describes the number of people, not prices or jobs; each of those has another reading on the site.
- For researchers: the difference between regions combines the effect of births and the effect of people moving between regions and from outside Saudi Arabia, and the series does not separate them.
An analytical reading, not financial advice; the decision and its responsibility are yours.
Limits of the figure
- The figures are about population, not the number of households. The number of new households by region is not published in this series; so the title is a question, and the answer is about population.
- The rates are estimates between two censuses, and the latest published year is 2022. We retrieved them on 30 September 2026 (19 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH).
- The fall in some years is published as it is, and the data do not show its cause.
- The figures include Saudis and non-Saudis together.
- Density is an average for the whole region over its large area, and most of its population lives in its cities.
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) — معدل النمو السكاني السنوي والكثافة السكانية حسب المنطقة الإدارية (قاعدة البيانات الإحصائية)، 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: Population by region and city · Where do people live in Saudi Arabia? (reading)(Arabic) · All insights(Arabic)
Translated from the Arabic reading; the Arabic text is the original. The original reading(Arabic)