SAUDI GAZETTE REPORT

DAMMAM — The number of males in Saudi Arabia surpassed females by about 2 percent, according to the latest population survey conducted by the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat).

The results of the survey published by Al-Watan newspaper show that there are 385,466 more males than females in the country.

However, females exceeded males in three of the Kingdom›s 13 provinces. Females accounted for 52 percent of the population in Asir and 51 percent in both Hail and Al-Baha.

The GaStat survey revealed that the number of citizens reached 20,408,362 in 2017, including 103,969,14 males (51 percent) and 10,011,448 (49 percent).

The survey found significant variations in population distribution across provinces. Three of the Kingdom›s 13 provinces are home to about two-thirds of the country›s population. Riyadh has the highest number with 22.8 percent of the total Saudi population, or 4,658,322 citizens, living in the province followed by Makkah, which hosts 22.1 percent of the total population, or 4,516,577 Saudis.

The Eastern Province has a share of 15.4 percent of the total population or 3,140,362 people.

The three regions accounted for 60 percent of the Kingdom›s population while the remaining 10 provinces sharing 40 percent.

The Northern Border Province has the lowest population with just 1.4 percent or 288,921 people, followed by Al-Jouf with 1.85 percent or 379,571 people.

The estimated population of Al-Baha is 382,438 (1.87 percent), Najran 438,041 (2.1 percent), Hail 538,099 (2.6 percent), Tabuk 722,664 (3.5 percent), Qassim 1,00,9543 (4.9 percent), Jazan 1,207,269 (5.9 percent), Madinah 1,376,244 (6.7 percent), and Asir 1,750,131 (8.6 percent). According to sociologist Fatima Al-Nasser, the relative distribution of the population depends on major economic and social factors including job opportunities, education, availability of housing, and ease of movement.

“The concentration of the Saudi population is mainly in major urban centers and this situation is normal, because migration from peripheral areas to urban centers is a global phenomenon,” she said.

Al-Nasser said the migration from peripheral areas to urban centers was a key factor in determining the sex distribution of the population. A large proportion of males migrate to urban areas in search of work and education.