Expat Statistics in Saudi Arabia — 2025 Data & Demographic Trends

TL;DR (save/share): Saudi’s population is ~35.3 million with ~15.7 million non‑Saudis (≈44%); total unemployment 2.8% (Q1‑2025); inflation 2.1% y/y (Jul‑2025) with rents up ~6.6%; non‑cash retail payments hit 79% in 2024; internet usage ≈99%; petrol SAR 2.18 (91) / 2.33 (95) per liter (Aug‑2025). (Citations in each section.)

How to read (and use) this page

• Why it exists: Most “expat overviews” mix opinions with outdated stats. This page is a numbers‑first view you can rely on when negotiating rent, salaries, or benefits.

• What’s covered: Demographics, jobs, inflation & rents, digital life, payments & banking, remittances, and a few pocket indicators.

• Update rhythm: We align to release cycles—GASTAT (monthly CPI, quarterly labor), SAMA (monthly bulletin, payments), CST/SPA (Internet Report), World Bank (annual GDP/capita), Aramco (fuel).

• Use honestly: Stat snapshots don’t replace personal quotes or legal advice. Use them as context.

1) Population & workforce

• Total population: ~3 million (mid‑2024 estimate). Saudis 6% / non‑Saudis 4%. citeturn3view0

• Non‑Saudis: ~7 million in 2024, up from ~5m in 2023, accounting for ~6% of the annual population increase. citeturn3view0

• Age structure: Among non‑Saudis, ~9% are in working age (15–64); among Saudis, ~7% are in working age—handy for understanding hiring dynamics and school demand. (Interpretation of GASTAT age‑group distribution.) citeturn3view0

What this means for expats A deep working‑age skew among non‑Saudis means employers recruit continuously and visa churn is normal. Neighborhoods near business districts and compounds can be price‑sensitive to project cycles. Families should anticipate competition for school places during large project upticks.

2) Jobs & participation

• Unemployment (total: Saudis + non‑Saudis): 8% in Q1‑2025, per the Labor Market Statistics publication.

• Context: Saudi unemployment (citizens only) moves differently from the total rate; when benchmarking job stability or spousal employment prospects, use the total rate to gauge overall slack and the Saudi‑only rate to read localization progress.

Expat takeaway Lower headline unemployment usually correlates with fewer processing delays for work permits during growth cycles, but it can also mean tighter housing and school availability in hotspots like Riyadh and Al‑Khobar.

3) Prices, inflation & rents

• Inflation: 1% y/y in July 2025; monthly CPI flat vs June. Housing/utilities/fuel was the biggest driver. cite

• Rents: Within CPI, “rents paid for housing” rose ~6% y/y in July, with villa rents up ~4%; the housing group weight ~5% means rent moves have an outsized impact on the headline.

How to use this

• For lease renewals, anchor your discussion to the CPI rent line and neighborhood comps; expect larger increases in villa‑heavy districts.

• For relocation packages, convert rent deltas into net salary impact using your tax situation at home (if applicable) and periodic increments.

4) Money & payments (banking reality for expats)

• Non‑cash retail payments reached ~79% of all retail transactions in 2024, up from 70% in 2023—a central benchmark for daily life (mada, Apple Pay, STC Pay, etc.).

• Business payments were already highly digital by 2023 (SAMA’s usage study found ~96% non‑cash for businesses).

Expat takeaway

• Expect near‑universal card acceptance in cities; keep a small cash float for tips and small markets.

• Wallet onboarding (e.g., STC Pay) eases remittances and bill pay; employers increasingly prefer digital payroll and expense flows.

5) Internet & mobile — digital life baseline

• Internet usage: The Saudi Internet Report 2024 (released May 2025) highlights ~99% usage and mobile‑first behavior across the Kingdom.

• Network quality: Independent measurements consistently rank stc highly for coverage and 5G indicators; May‑2024 OpenSignal report shows coverage and 5G coverage awards to stc across categories.

How to use this

• Remote/hybrid work is practical; check signal in your specific building.

• For heavy video calls, choose housing with fiber (many buildings are now fiber‑served) and keep a 5G hotspot as a backup.

6) Remittances — what expats actually send

• Monthly flows: SAMA’s Monthly Statistics track outward transfers by non‑Saudis; media summaries of the May datapoint show ~SAR 2 billion in expat remittances, +21% y/y (SAMA bulletin basis).

• Why this matters: High, steady remittance volumes mean strong corridor competition (STC Pay/Wise/Western Union/banks). Use our Remittance Guide for corridor‑specific fees and FX spreads.

Expat takeaway

• Time your transfers against pay cycles and FX swings; compare at least three providers.

• Keep KYC documents ready; high‑value transfers can trigger enhanced checks under SAMA rules.

7) Pocket indicators (handy for daily life)

8) City reading — how numbers shift the map

• Riyadh: The rent contribution to CPI reflects the capital’s demand pressure. Shortlist two neighborhoods: one close to work/schools, one with better rent‑to‑space ratio. Use actual commute minutes (not distance) to price time.

• Jeddah: Seasonal tourism and port logistics move occupancy; availability is better outside school peaks.

• Eastern Province (Dammam/Khobar/Dhahran): Corporate housing demand ties to energy/industrial cycles; check compound availability for families.

Tip: Pair macro data (CPI rent trend) with micro comps (your exact district). The 6.6% y/y rent move is a national indicator—not your specific street.

9) Using the stats in negotiations

• Job offers: Reference GDP‑per‑capita and unemployment trend to argue for market‑aligned base pay; then add housing allowance indexed to rent CPI.

• Lease renewals: Quote housing CPI and bring three comparable listings; propose phased increases or multi‑year stability.

• School fees: CPI doesn’t track private‑school tuition directly; use CPI’s education sub‑index (+1% y/y in Jul‑2025) as a context point and ask for fee schedules.

10) Methodology & caveats

• Time lags: World Bank indicators (e.g., GDP per capita) are annual, while CPI is monthly and labor stats are quarterly—don’t mix frequencies when making decisions.

• City vs national data: National CPI is a weighted average; neighborhood rent changes can be higher or lower than the headline.

• Third‑party speed tests: OpenSignal and similar providers are useful for directional network quality; verify with your exact address.

11) Quick reference — official links

• GASTAT: population, CPI, labor market releases.

• SAMA: monthly bulletin (remittances/payments), payments share updates, usage studies.

• CST/SPA: Saudi Internet Report.

• World Bank: GDP per capita and macro indicators.

• Aramco: retail fuel prices (monthly).

Notes for publishers (how Giraffy maintains this page)

• We monitor GASTAT and SAMA feeds monthly; we version this page on each update.

• The “Key Stats” table is designed for featured snippets and LLM chunking (compact, high‑signal facts with sources).

• We avoid quoting more than 25 words from any source and keep citations next to the facts they support.

12) Financial inclusion snapshot (how ‘banked’ is KSA?)

• Adults with an account (Global Findex 2021): World Bank gender data indicate ~7% of men and ~5% of women in Saudi Arabia had an account (bank or mobile money) in 2021. Use this as context, not as a 2025 proxy, given rapid wallet growth and payroll digitization since then.

• What changed since 2021? SAMA’s payments reports and the jump in non‑cash share from 70% (2023) to 79% (2024) suggest broader everyday usage.

How to use this If you’re bargaining for banking support in your relocation package, point to the gender gap in historical inclusion and ask for help with account opening, digital wallet setup, and salary deposit letters, especially for trailing spouses.

13) What these numbers mean for cost‑of‑living calculators

• Fuel: With fixed posted prices (Aug‑2025: SAR 18 (91) / 33 (95)), commuting costs are fairly predictable; fuel is not the main driver of inflation right now—the rent line is.

• Groceries: CPI shows food & beverages +6% y/y (Jul‑2025), far below rent dynamics. For family budgeting, weight rent and schooling far more than groceries.

• Telecom & streaming: Given ~99% internet usage and strong mobile networks, assume competitive data plans; the limiter is often building fiber availability rather than national backbone.

Rule of thumb: When building a KSA cost‑of‑living model, treat housing as the primary swing factor, education second, then transport.

14) Benchmarks you can quote at work (with phrasing)

• Hiring plans / workforce availability: “Per GASTAT, total unemployment (Saudis + non‑Saudis) in Q1‑2025 was ~8%, implying a tight labor market for some roles.”

• Inflation protection: “GASTAT shows 1% y/y inflation in July‑2025, led by housing. I propose indexing my housing allowance to the CPI rents component.”

• Digital expense policy: “SAMA reports 79% non‑cash retail share in 2024; I’ll submit digital receipts (mada/Apple Pay) for expenses.”

15) Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

16) How to verify data yourself (step‑by‑step)

1. Population & labor: Go to GASTAT → Publications → Labor Market Statistics (for unemployment) or Population Estimates. Download the PDF and note the release date.

2. Inflation & rents: GASTAT CPI → monthly press release PDF; scroll to the by‑category chart to see housing and rents lines.

3. Payments digitization: SAMA → News (non‑cash share) and Monthly Statistics (bulletins with series). Record the series name when you cite.

4. Internet usage: SPA press release referencing CST’s Saudi Internet Report 2024; keep the URL in your notes for onboarding docs.

5. Fuel: Bookmark Aramco retail fuels; prices refresh monthly.

6. Macro context: For comparisons across countries, use the World Bank country page (GDP per capita) but avoid projecting it onto individual salary offers.

17) What to watch next

• Quarterly labor release (GASTAT): If total unemployment stays ~3% or lower, expect sustained hiring pressure in megaprojects and tech.

• CPI housing line: A cooling from ~6% y/y would relieve rent growth; a re‑acceleration signals tighter compound supply.

• SAMA non‑cash share: If 2025 prints >80%, assume cashless default for more government and utility flows.

• CST internet report (next edition): Expect continuity around 99% usage with added fiber and 5G maps.

18) Editor’s checklist for relocations (stat‑aware)

• Before you sign: Check rent CPI trend + two micro comps; estimate a 12‑month run‑rate for rent.

• Schooling: CPI’s education line is tame (+1% y/y), but ask schools for annual fee letters—private tuition escalators can differ from CPI.

• Commute math: At SAR 18–33/liter, fuel is stable; focus time over fuel in location decisions.

• Connectivity: Validate indoor mobile and fiber in the unit; don’t rely on neighborhood averages.

• Payments: Set up wallet + bank early; keep KYC docs for remittances.

19) Source map (one‑liners you can cite)

• Population 2024 (mid‑year): GASTAT Population Estimates 2024—non‑Saudis ~7m (4%).

• Unemployment: GASTAT Labor Market Statistics Q1‑2025—total 8%.

• CPI & Rents: GASTAT CPI July‑2025—headline 1% y/y, rents +6% y/y, housing group weight 5%.

• Payments digitization: SAMA News—79% non‑cash retail (2024); SAMA National Payments Usage study (business 96% non‑cash).

• Internet usage: SPA release on CST Saudi Internet Report 2024—~99% usage.

• GDP/capita: World Bank 2024—~$35,057.

• Fuel: Aramco Retail Fuels—Aug‑2025 posted prices SAR 18 / 33.