Population and Saudi Women

The powerful Gulf kingdom is grappling with many demographic challenges. High among these challenges are a large, young population; fertility rates of almost 6 children per woman; high population growth; and a large expatriate population.

Saudi Arabia has an extremely young population. Of the country's 24 million people, 43 percent are under the age of 15. UN estimates place the population growth rate for 1995-2000 at 3.5 percent, and according to the United Nations, rapid growth is placing increasing pressure on social sectors, including the country's public school system.

Foreign workers have long played a key role in Saudi Arabia's economy. The Millennium Development Goals Report for Saudi Arabia issued by the United Nations notes that non-Saudis accounted for roughly one quarter of the population in 1999. Indeed, among women who were employed that year, only 32 percent were nationals of the country. Non-Saudi labor is especially apparent in the areas of domestic service and childrearing, according to the report.

In general, employment opportunities for Saudi women are limited. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that the unemployment rate for women in 2001 was 9 percent, compared with close to 4 percent for men, and opportunities for women are concentrated in the education and health services sectors. Literacy rates for women are also much lower than those of men. Some 67 percent of women 15 years and over are literate, compared with 84 percent of men.

Saudi Arabia Facts and Figures

Population in mid-2002 is 24,000,000
Population 2025 (projected) to be 40,900,000
infant deaths per 1,000 live births is 19
Total Fertility Rate (average no. of children born to a woman) is 5.7
Population Under Age 15, is 43 %

Population Over Age 65, is 3%
Life Expectancy at Birth, Both Sexes (years) is 72
Urban Population is 83 %
Contraceptive Use Among Married Women 15-49, is 32%
Maternal Deaths per 100,000 Live Births is 23%
Literacy Rate (ages 15+), 2000, Female, is 67%
Literacy Rate (ages 15+), 2000, Male, 84%
Secondary School Enrollment, 1993-1997, Female, is 57%
Secondary School Enrollment, 1993-1997, Male, is 65%

Labor Force Participation (ages 15-64), 2000, Female, is 23

Labor Force Participation (ages 15-64), 2000, Male, is 82%

Average Age at First Marriage, Female, 22
Illiterate Males Ages 15-19, is 4%
Illiterate Females Ages 15-19, is 16%

Sources: Carl Haub, 2002 World Population Data Sheet (Washington, DC: PRB, 2002); Justine Sass and Lori Ashford, 2002 Women of Our World (Washington, DC: PRB, 2002); and Carl Haub and Britt Herstad, Family Planning Worldwide, 2002 Data Sheet (Washington, DC: PRB, 2002).

While the youth bulge and coincided demands on the labor force, educational, housing, health, and other social systems are getting more attention now, other demographic trends will continue to affect our country. As the youth reaches family-formation age in our country, the number of births is likely to increase, fueling more future growth. The population of Saudi is projected to double by 2050.

The prospect of larger populations in the future means that government is increasingly challenged to provide the basic needs for a growing numbers of citizens, adequate housing, sanitation, health care, education, and jobs. In my opinion, investments in today's youth, particularly in girls as they form more than 45 percent of our population, can yield potentially large payoffs for our future development.

As their number is increasing, the government has provided more opportunities for women in the work force. The latest statistics show that 54 percent of university graduates are women. Employers seek these well-qualified women due to their determination and professionalism.

Saudi young women today are more aware of their strengths and capabilities and are more aware of our demographic and domestic changes. The status of women in the Kingdom is slowly changing, and women determined to assert their position as contributing citizens in all fields: Socially, economically and politically. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah shows his great support and respect for women. The king has vowed to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of empowering women and has called for the integration of women into the work force.

Fortunately, Saudis’ young women are reaping the benefits of population changes.