Source: PRI

According to the latest figures released by the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) at the beginning of January, Saudi Arabia’s population grew by 2.52 percent to 32.5 million by the end of 2017, up from 31.7 million the previous year.

The Makkah region in the west of the kingdom is the most populated area with 8.6 million people, followed by the Riyadh region with 8.2 million, and the Eastern Province with 4.9 million people.

Let's take a look at some other interesting facts and figures on the population of Saudi Arabia:

1. Saudi citizens make up 62.7 percent of the 32.5 million people who live in Saudi Arabia

2. Males make up 57.5 per cent of the total population in 2017 while females constituted the remaining 42.5 percent

The presence of thousands of single foreign men working in Saudi Arabia explains the gap in the gender numbers.

3. The number of total Saudi nationals in 2017 was 20.4 million, an increase of 343,392 over 2016 when they were 20.1 million

4. Men slightly outnumber women, accounting for 50.9 percent of the total Saudi population

These figures have marginally changed from 2016 when men constituted 51 percent and women 49 percent of the local Saudi population.

5. Saudi Arabia is the largest and most populous country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

6. Most of the foreigners living in Saudi Arabia are nationals from Asian and Arab countries working mainly in the domestic and private sectors

7. Around 58.5 percent of Saudis are under the age of 30