Capital

Saudi-Arabien

name: Riyadh

geographic coordinates: 24 39 N, 46 42 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name derives from the Arabic word "riyadh," meaning "gardens," and refers to various oasis towns in the area that merged to form the city

Citizenship

Saudi-Arabien

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Saudi Arabia; a child born out of wedlock in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi mother and unknown father

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Legal system

Saudi-Arabien

Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; note - several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees

Suffrage

Saudi-Arabien

18 years of age; universal for municipal elections

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/saudi-women-go-to-the-polls-finally

Area

Saudi-Arabien

total: 2,149,690 sq km

land: 2,149,690 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Land use

Saudi-Arabien

agricultural land: 80.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.5% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 79.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.5% (2018 est.)

other: 18.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Saudi-Arabien

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Age structure

Saudi-Arabien

0-14 years: 23.45% (male 4,298,399/female 4,130,547)

15-64 years: 72.36% (male 15,251,742/female 10,752,649)

65 years and over: 4.19% (2023 est.) (male 799,270/female 707,199)

Birth rate

Saudi-Arabien

13.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Saudi-Arabien

3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Saudi-Arabien

Arabic (official)

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Saudi-Arabien

total population: 76.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 75.3 years

female: 78.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Saudi-Arabien

7.682 million RIYADH (capital), 4.863 million Jeddah, 2.150 million Mecca, 1.573 million Medina, 1.329 million Ad Dammam, 872,000 million Hufuf-Mubarraz (2023)

Median age

Saudi-Arabien

total: 32 years (2023 est.)

male: 34.2 years

female: 29 years

Net migration rate

Saudi-Arabien

6.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Saudi-Arabien

historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s; most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea

Population growth rate

Saudi-Arabien

1.65% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Saudi-Arabien

1.89 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Saudi-Arabien

urban population: 85% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.69% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Saudi-Arabien

7.8% of GDP (2020) NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Saudi-Arabien

total: 17 years

male: 17 years

female: 16 years (2021)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Saudi-Arabien

-8.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Saudi-Arabien

1.71% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Saudi-Arabien

16.06 million (2021 est.)

note: comprised of 3.1 million Saudis and 10.7 million non-Saudis

Population below poverty line

Saudi-Arabien

NA

Unemployment rate

Saudi-Arabien

7.36% (2021 est.)

7.45% (2020 est.)

5.67% (2019 est.)

note: data are for total population; unemployment among Saudi nationals is more than double

Public debt

Saudi-Arabien

17.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

13.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Saudi-Arabien

3.06% (2021 est.)

3.45% (2020 est.)

-2.09% (2019 est.)

Exports

Saudi-Arabien

$286.502 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$182.848 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$285.86 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Saudi-Arabien

China 19%, India 10%, Japan 9%, South Korea 8%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2021)

Imports

Saudi-Arabien

$213.016 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$182.184 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$218.941 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Saudi-Arabien

China 19%, United Arab Emirates 15%, United States 8%, India 6%, Germany 4% (2021)

Airports

Saudi-Arabien

214 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Saudi-Arabien

total: 7,890,261 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Saudi-Arabien

total: 36 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 100% (2021 est.)

Railways

Saudi-Arabien

total: 5,410 km (2016)

standard gauge: 5,410 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings)

Roadways

Saudi-Arabien

total: 221,372 km (2006)

paved: 47,529 km (2006) (includes 3,891 km of expressways)

unpaved: 173,843 km (2006)

Telephones - fixed lines

Saudi-Arabien

total subscriptions: 6,594,631 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Saudi-Arabien

total subscriptions: 45,427,321 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Saudi-Arabien

Saudi Arabia-Bahrain: none identified

Saudi Arabia-Iraq:  Saudi Arabia has been building a fence along its border with Iraq to keep out militants and smugglers

Saudi Arabia-Jordan: Jordan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to demarcate their maritime borders in 2007

Saudi Arabia-Kuwait: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; in December 2019, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement to demarcate land in a neutral zone and to restart oil production in shared fields, which had been suspended since 2014 because of disagreements

Saudi Arabia-Oman: none identified

Saudi Arabia-Qatar: none identified

Saudi Arabia-UAE: Saudi Arabia and UAE have disputed the Shaybah oilfield, which Saudi Arabia controls

Saudi Arabia-Yemen: the two countries signed the Treaty of Jeddah in 2000, which specified the coordinates of their land and maritime border and made provisions for grazing, the placement of armed forces, and future resource exploitation; in 2010, Saudi Arabia reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal crossborder activities