Saudi Arabia: Estimated Total Fertility Rate by nationality (Saudi/non-Saudi) (2011 – 2022)
| Saudis | Non-Saudis | Total (TFR Saudi and non-Saudi population) | |
| 2011 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 2.8 |
| 2012 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| 2013 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 2.7 |
| 2014 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 2.7 |
| 2015 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| 2016 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 2.7 |
| 2017 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 2.7 |
| 2018 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 2.7 |
| 2019 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| 2020 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 |
| 2021 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 2.2 |
| 2022 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 2.1 |
Source: General Authority for Statistics (GAStat)
ANNEXED NOTE
1. Technical Notes and Definitions
Indicator’s Definition:
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period
if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.
It is expressed as children per woman.
Population Estimates:
The General Authority for Statistics uses the (Method Component-Cohort) approach leveraging data from various sources including the National Information Center
for administrative records to provide key components such as births, deaths and migration.
Changes in the demographic characteristics for 2024 are assessed against the previous population report from the Authority using data from the 2022 Saudi census.
Saudi census 2022:
Date of reference: 10 May 2022
Population of reference: Families and individual citizens and residents within the Kingdom, regardless of the status of their identification documents.
Visitors for Hajj, Umrah and tourism are excluded from the census.
Methodology:
The first phase of the 2020 census began on 3 February 2020 (enumeration of buildings and households). Census 2022 used geospatial data, including satellite images, electricity consumption and mobile phone data, to improve the accuracy and geographic coverage of address canvassing.
The second stage (“actual enumeration”) was due to start on the original reference date (17 March 2020), but was suspended by the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. This stage was conducted in October 2021.
The 2022 census used a combined methodology – administrative records, fieldwork and digital self-enumeration.
Household data were collected from e-portals of self-enumeration (on residents’ mobile devices, laptops or personal computers, or self-enumeration stations/kiosks, located in shopping centers).
The digital self-enumeration process was complemented by face-to-face interviews, using digital tablets.
Census 2022 used a de jure approach: enumerating people according to their usual place of residence.
Administrative data from multiple sources was used to cross-validate collected census data.
See census methodology in:
https://portal.saudicensus.sa/portal/public/methodology
Portal of the Saudi census:
https://portal.saudicensus.sa/portal
Population data for 2010-22 were revised and backcasted, based on 2022 population census and past years’ administrative data.
Technical note on backcasting:
https://database.stats.gov.sa/Methodologies/En_Documents/40_Technical%20Note%20Population%20Back%20Casting.PDF
2. Institution which provides data
General Authority for Statistics (GAStat)
3. Data availability
The time series were taken from GAStat’s publication “Population Estimates Statistics 2024” (PDF version).
https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/statistics?index=119025
Last date of access: 09 May 2025
GLMM and GRC cannot guarantee that the link to access the source will not change;
that the information will not be removed from the website it was obtained from;
that no geo-blockages will be imposed; or that the information will not be available for any another reason.
Keywords: Saudi Arabia, National Population, Foreign Population
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