Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) was 17,818 in 2027. ◆ Volatile
Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 17,818 for labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 31.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Saudi Arabia peaked at 17,818 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 3,115, in 1990.
That places Saudi Arabia 39th out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,115 | — |
| 1991 | 3,276 | +5.1% |
| 1992 | 3,454 | +5.4% |
| 1993 | 3,605 | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 3,759 | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 3,915 | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 4,072 | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 4,232 | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 4,394 | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 4,562 | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 4,892 | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 5,137 | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 5,431 | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 5,785 | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 6,177 | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 6,604 | +6.9% |
| 2006 | 7,069 | +7.0% |
| 2007 | 7,549 | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 8,067 | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 8,586 | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 9,363 | +9.1% |
| 2011 | 10,186 | +8.8% |
| 2012 | 11,050 | +8.5% |
| 2013 | 11,885 | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 12,635 | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 13,420 | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 13,996 | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 13,589 | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 13,412 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 13,848 | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 14,412 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 14,882 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 15,469 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 16,496 | +6.6% |
| 2024 | 16,870 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 17,187 | +1.9% |
| 2026 | 17,504 | +1.8% |
| 2027 | 17,818 | +1.8% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 17,818 is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,118, 5.7× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 17,818 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4,698, 3.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,838 | 3,115 | 4,562 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,530 | 4,892 | 8,586 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12,338 | 9,363 | 13,996 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,330 | 14,412 | 17,818 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 36 Malaysia 19,353 compare
- 37 Poland 18,722 compare
- 38 Madagascar 18,089 compare
- 40 North Korea 17,790 compare
- 41 Angola 17,452 compare
- 42 Mozambique 16,720 compare
More work & labour data for Saudi Arabia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.6339 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5946 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.6842 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.31 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5985 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 40,709 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 4,348 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 31,198 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 39,809 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 71,007 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Saudi Arabia?
- Labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Saudi Arabia was 17,818 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 17,818 in 2027.
- What is the lowest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,115 in 1990.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for labour force (ilo modelled estimates)?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 39th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.