Saudi Arabia population pyramid 2026
35,165,787 people in 2026 (projected). Saudi Arabia’s pyramid has a balanced base of children beneath a heavily male bulge at ages 25–44, created by decades of recruited foreign labor.
- 2026 population
- 35.2Mrank 47 of 237
- Median age
- 29.7 yearsoldest rank 137
- Fertility rate
- 2.27births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Transitional3.2% age 65+
Saudi Arabia population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Saudi Arabia age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 23.4% of the population, while 3.2% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 73.4% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Saudi Arabia’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 36.2: about 36 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (31.9 children and 4.3 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Saudi Arabia’s population pyramid
Two populations in one chart
The 2026 pyramid combines two very different age structures. Below age 20 it looks like the pyramid of a country nearing the end of its fertility transition: four bands of roughly equal width, with boys and girls in near balance. From 20–24 upward the male side swells abruptly. Men aged 25–44 make up about 27% of the whole population, women of the same ages about 14%, and in each band from 30–34 to 40–44 men outnumber women roughly two to one.
The bulge is the foreign workforce. Since the oil boom of the 1970s, Saudi Arabia has recruited millions of workers, mostly men, for construction, services, transport and domestic work, largely from South and Southeast Asia and other Arab countries. Non-Saudis made up around two-fifths of residents at the 2022 census. Residence is tied to employment contracts, so most workers leave rather than grow old in the country. That is why the bulge does not travel up the pyramid: the male 55–59 band is less than a third as wide as the male 35–39 band. Saudi Arabia therefore appears high in the sex ratio by country ranking, and sex ratio and age structure explains how such an imbalance is read on a chart.
A fertility transition among Saudi families
The balanced base reflects a steep fall in fertility, from more than seven children per woman around 1980 to about 2.3 today. Each band under 20 is now about the same width as the one below it, so the number of births has stopped growing. The top of the pyramid is still thin because today’s older Saudis were born when the country had fewer than three million people, and few migrants remain past working age.
The Saudi Arabia vs Qatar comparison shows the same labor-migration pattern in a far more extreme form.
Under the UN medium scenario the population reaches about 47.7 million by 2050, with roughly 137 men per 100 women and the male working-age bulge still in place, as the Saudi Arabia 2050 pyramid shows.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Saudi Arabia’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
In the UN medium scenario births outnumber deaths in every year through 2100. Children under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and older in every pyramid year through 2100.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Saudi Arabia is projected to record 567,889 births (about one birth every 56 seconds) and 81,748 deaths, a natural increase of 486,141. Net migration adds +108,660 people, ranking #37 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 12,227,955 births, 1,577,683 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +7,263,698. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +898,593 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 81.7 years42.5 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 77.8 years37.8 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 18.6 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 5.6per 1,000 births · 182 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 6.9per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.3 yearssex ratio at birth 105.1
Women in Saudi Arabia are projected to live 3.9 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 182 to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #160 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.3 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Saudi Arabia
The median age of 29.7 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 2.27 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 79.4 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,165,787 | #47 | Largest first |
| Median age | 29.7 years | #137 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 2.27 | #87 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +1.7% | #58 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 79.4 years | #66 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 3.2% | #209 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Saudi Arabia
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30–34 | 3,975,558 | 11.3% | 2.6M / 1.4M |
| 2 | 35–39 | 3,854,034 | 11.0% | 2.6M / 1.3M |
| 3 | 25–29 | 3,512,748 | 10.0% | 2.2M / 1.3M |
| 4 | 40–44 | 3,177,032 | 9.0% | 2.2M / 1M |
| 5 | 20–24 | 2,798,932 | 8.0% | 1.6M / 1.2M |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Saudi Arabia has 21,210,268 males and 13,955,518 females. That is 152.0 males per 100 females, ranking #7 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 60.3% of the population and females for 39.7%. There are 7,254,750 more males than females overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 120.0 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 105.1 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Saudi Arabia has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 1,703,271 in 1950 to 35,165,787 in 2026, a change of 1965%. Over the same span, median age moved from 18.0 to 29.7 years.
The under-15 share changed from 42.1% to 23.4%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.3% to 3.2%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately. See the Saudi Arabia population pyramid in 1950 for the full starting shape.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Saudi Arabia’s population is projected to grow by about 36%, reaching 47,693,910 in 2050. The median age changes from 29.7 to 32.0 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 5.0 percentage points to 8.2%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 20.1%. The Saudi Arabia population pyramid for 2050 shows the projected shape in detail. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The population is still rising at the end of the UN medium projection in 2100, when it reaches 71,006,690. The page therefore does not assign a peak year beyond the available horizon.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,703,271 | 18.0 | 7.58 | 40.0 | 86,682 | 42,599 | +15,000 | +3.5% |
| 1960 | 2,435,404 | 17.6 | 7.63 | 45.3 | 125,515 | 51,371 | +15,000 | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 3,562,470 | 16.2 | 7.58 | 52.7 | 173,388 | 52,951 | +31,097 | +4.3% |
| 1980 | 6,047,997 | 17.1 | 7.14 | 62.4 | 284,567 | 50,195 | +121,220 | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 10,640,690 | 18.0 | 5.80 | 68.9 | 403,996 | 48,496 | +160,416 | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 16,177,722 | 19.7 | 4.21 | 72.6 | 444,729 | 52,325 | +468,515 | +5.3% |
| 2010 | 25,157,128 | 23.5 | 2.81 | 75.6 | 506,348 | 67,126 | +504,955 | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 30,991,207 | 28.5 | 2.27 | 77.6 | 515,334 | 76,244 | −74,725 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 33,264,292 | 29.2 | 2.28 | 78.7 | 546,038 | 77,837 | +325,691 | +2.4% |
| 2024* | 33,962,757 | 29.6 | 2.31 | 79.0 | 560,224 | 79,357 | +122,170 | +1.8% |
| 2026* | 35,165,787 | 29.7 | 2.27 | 79.4 | 567,889 | 81,748 | +108,660 | +1.7% |
| 2030* | 37,443,752 | 29.7 | 2.17 | 80.3 | 576,693 | 86,890 | +22,042 | +1.4% |
| 2040* | 42,592,205 | 30.7 | 1.98 | 82.3 | 595,804 | 105,980 | +25,137 | +1.2% |
| 2050* | 47,693,910 | 32.0 | 1.88 | 84.0 | 616,864 | 140,959 | +28,517 | +1.1% |
| 2060* | 52,679,123 | 33.0 | 1.81 | 85.5 | 650,260 | 189,232 | +29,648 | +0.9% |
| 2070* | 57,462,528 | 34.0 | 1.77 | 86.9 | 679,497 | 247,089 | +29,666 | +0.8% |
| 2080* | 61,965,386 | 34.8 | 1.75 | 88.1 | 710,224 | 293,900 | +28,971 | +0.7% |
| 2090* | 66,465,149 | 35.4 | 1.73 | 89.3 | 749,922 | 321,427 | +27,822 | +0.7% |
| 2100* | 71,006,690 | 35.8 | 1.72 | 90.3 | 795,137 | 375,437 | +26,653 | +0.6% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,422,504 | 1,361,771 | 2,784,275 | 7.9% |
| 5–9 | 1,394,970 | 1,346,233 | 2,741,203 | 7.8% |
| 10–14 | 1,378,915 | 1,336,226 | 2,715,141 | 7.7% |
| 15–19 | 1,299,370 | 1,222,809 | 2,522,179 | 7.2% |
| 20–24 | 1,621,049 | 1,177,883 | 2,798,932 | 8.0% |
| 25–29 | 2,240,839 | 1,271,909 | 3,512,748 | 10.0% |
| 30–34 | 2,597,028 | 1,378,530 | 3,975,558 | 11.3% |
| 35–39 | 2,581,657 | 1,272,377 | 3,854,034 | 11.0% |
| 40–44 | 2,151,456 | 1,025,576 | 3,177,032 | 9.0% |
| 45–49 | 1,541,522 | 769,160 | 2,310,682 | 6.6% |
| 50–54 | 1,097,856 | 550,130 | 1,647,986 | 4.7% |
| 55–59 | 768,590 | 420,450 | 1,189,040 | 3.4% |
| 60–64 | 506,402 | 315,634 | 822,036 | 2.3% |
| 65–69 | 290,678 | 213,505 | 504,183 | 1.4% |
| 70–74 | 144,508 | 124,709 | 269,217 | 0.8% |
| 75–79 | 94,134 | 84,178 | 178,312 | 0.5% |
| 80–84 | 53,001 | 50,552 | 103,553 | 0.3% |
| 85–89 | 18,701 | 22,699 | 41,400 | 0.1% |
| 90–94 | 6,010 | 8,832 | 14,842 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 995 | 2,063 | 3,058 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 86 | 293 | 379 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Saudi Arabia’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Oman96% overlap · median age 29.8
- Bhutan92% overlap · median age 31.0
- South Africa91% overlap · median age 28.9
- Bahrain91% overlap · median age 33.4
- Belize91% overlap · median age 27.3
- Maldives90% overlap · median age 33.4
Compare Saudi Arabia with other countries
Side-by-side pages put two pyramids on the same percentage scale, with a full indicator table and the projected change to 2050.
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Saudi Arabia.
Use this chart in your work
Charts and tables may be reused with attribution. Please link to this page and credit the United Nations as the data source.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Saudi Arabia Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/saudi-arabia/
MLA
“Saudi Arabia Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/saudi-arabia/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Saudi Arabia Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/saudi-arabia/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Saudi Arabia in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Saudi Arabia's population in 2026 is projected at 35,165,787.
What is the median age in Saudi Arabia?
The projected median age in Saudi Arabia in 2026 is 29.7 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Saudi Arabia?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 2.27 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Saudi Arabia's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 36%, from 35.2M to 47.7M.
What share of Saudi Arabia is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 3.2% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 8.2%.
How many babies are born in Saudi Arabia each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 567,889 births and 81,748 deaths in 2026, about one birth every 56 seconds. Births exceed deaths by 486,141.
What is life expectancy in Saudi Arabia for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 81.7 years for women and 77.8 years for men, a gap of 3.9 years in favour of women.
Does Saudi Arabia have more immigrants or emigrants?
Saudi Arabia is projected to gain about 108,660 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +7,263,698.
What is the sex ratio in Saudi Arabia?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 152.0 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.