DHAHRAN, 27 April — The composition of the Kingdom’s population has undergone dramatic changes since the last population census was conducted in September 1992. Saudi Commerce and Economic Review published by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Eastern Province, examined several new population studies. Figures from the studies indicate that the growth of the Saudi population is slowing and that the numbers of expatriates in the Kingdom, especially men, have remained nearly the same over the last decade.
In 1999, the Central Department of Statistics (CSD) in the Ministry of Planning carried out a Demographic Sample Survey which showed that the total population of Saudi Arabia went up from 16.95 million in 1992 to 19.90 million in 1999. The average annual growth rate of total population was 2.5 percent between 1992 and 1999 as compared to 3.5 percent for the decade prior to 1992.
The Saudi population had an enormous rise during the boom period 1975-80 when it increased a record 5.13 percent. At that time there was also a record increase in the numbers of expatriates coming to the Kingdom for employment. Difficulties in the Saudi economy in recent years have caused both figures to fall. According to the CSD survey, the total non-Saudi population grew by an annual average of 1.2 percent during the 1992-99 period and during those years the Saudi population grew by 2.9 percent. This rate is still higher than world averages but shows a distinct rationalization of growth mentality in the population.
In the analysis of the data relating to expatriate labor, there were indications that the drive for Saudization is having some effect. Between 1992 and 1999 the male expatriate population rose by only .4 percent per year. Surprisingly, however, there has been a much larger increase in the annual growth rate of expatriate females to 3.1% per year.
According to the CSD, the total number of expatriates in millions stands at males 3.35 and females 1.67 and the total Saudi population is 14.87 million, for a total population in the Kingdom of 19.90 million.
The greatest problem now faced in further reducing the numbers of expatriates is that these workers are concentrated in undesirable sectors of the Saudi labor force. While qualified, educated expatriate manpower has been replaced by Saudi youth, large numbers of common laborers and housemaids have been contracted. Unskilled manpower accounted for 79.6% of total non-Saudi labor in 1998.
The CSD found that almost three-quarters of Saudi nationals are under 30 years of age. This high ratio of young Saudis reflects the rapid increase in population during the last three decades due to a considerable improvement in living conditions and health and social services. A staggering 57.2 percent of all Saudis are under twenty years of age.
“The need of education for this group is one of the most important requirements for achieving development and progress,” wrote SAMA in its most recent report. “Consequently the need arises for a continued expansion in schools, institutes, colleges and universities.
Efforts should continue for improvement and development of curricula and preparation of necessary qualified educational cadres to enter the labor market.
In addition it is important to expand participation of the private sector, which plays a key role in different economic activities.”
SAMA statistics show that despite improvements in past decades there are still serious problems in the education of Saudi citizens. Illiteracy plagues 28.9% of Saudi females over the age of 9 years. Numerous studies have shown that literacy of the mother is vital to stable supportable population growth. There were other significant education statistics for the Saudi population over 9 years of age. Only 6 percent of the Saudi population in this group hold university degrees but places at local institutes of higher learning are at a premium. Even fewer citizens in this group (2.8%) hold diplomas from trade schools and there is a vast need in the labor market for individuals with such training. While more girls need to be encouraged to attend school, the dropout rate for boys is unacceptably high. In the Saudi population 36.5% of males have completed primary education but only 13.2% hold secondary certificates. SAMA noted the difficulties that some educated Saudis were encountering in finding employment and advised: “It is important to give particular attention to further develop technical and scientific capabilities of education output through continued development of curricula and update of instructional and methodological media to be in line with the labor market’s needs and requirements.” While males in the labor market are currently facing difficulty in procuring employment mostly due to economic restructuring or lack of training, in the future they will face a new challenge — women. SAMA data shows that the number of Saudi male employees constituted 90.6% of the total Saudi labor force. Now over one million Saudi women have been educated through the secondary level or higher and of the total female Saudi population only 300,000 are employed. With the government incurring high expenses for female education the loss of economic returns arising from constraints on their employment in the service of the national economy cannot be ignored.
