Share of the population that is female in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Share of the population that is female was 39.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
39.6%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
209th
of 215 countries
All-time high
48.8%
in 1960
All-time low
37.2%
in 2016
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Share of the population that is female in Saudi Arabia, 1960–2025
Source: United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
In 2025, share of the population that is female in Saudi Arabia stood at 39.6%.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population that is female in Saudi Arabia peaked at 48.8% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 37.2%, in 2016.
That places Saudi Arabia 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Share of the population that is female in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 48.8% | — |
| 1961 | 48.8% | -0.0% |
| 1962 | 48.8% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 48.7% | -0.0% |
| 1964 | 48.7% | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 48.7% | -0.0% |
| 1966 | 48.7% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 48.7% | -0.0% |
| 1968 | 48.6% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 48.6% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 48.5% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 48.4% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 48.3% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 48.2% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 48.0% | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 47.9% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 47.7% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 47.6% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 47.4% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 47.3% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 47.1% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 47.0% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 46.8% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 46.7% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 46.6% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 46.5% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 46.4% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 46.3% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 46.2% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 46.1% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 46.1% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 46.0% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 46.0% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 46.0% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 45.9% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 45.9% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 45.9% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 45.9% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 45.9% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 45.9% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 45.3% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 44.4% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 43.5% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 42.7% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 42.0% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 41.4% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 40.8% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 40.3% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 39.8% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 39.3% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 38.9% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 38.5% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 38.2% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 37.8% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 37.5% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 37.2% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 37.2% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 37.6% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 38.4% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 38.8% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 39.1% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 39.3% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 39.3% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 39.3% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 39.5% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 39.6% | +0.3% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 39.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 50.6%, 78% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 39.6% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 49.3%, 80% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.7% | 48.6% | 48.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 47.9% | 47.3% | 48.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.6% | 46.1% | 47.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.0% | 45.9% | 46.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.0% | 39.3% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.0% | 37.2% | 38.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.3% | 39.1% | 39.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More gender data for Saudi Arabia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 8,519 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.7629 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 28,924 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 28,924 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.65 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 275,243 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 288,722 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 275,525 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 288,548 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 263,011 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population that is female in Saudi Arabia?
- Share of the population that is female in Saudi Arabia was 39.6% in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population that is female recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 48.8% in 1960.
- What is the lowest share of the population that is female recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.2% in 2016.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for share of the population that is female?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of the population that is female rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that is female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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