RIYADH, 18 November — The Kingdom has launched the preparatory phase of a population census, the first since 1993. The general statistics department has announced that the nationwide exercise will take two to three years to complete.
The preparatory phase aims to compile a comprehensive directory of the populated areas and include any new locations or settlements in the relevant official records and maps.
A statement released by the general statistics department said that a large number of personnel will be deployed to collect information regarding the Kingdom’s populated areas. The first phase will be completed next year.
The whole exercise, which will be completed only in 2003-04, will involve several ministries and government departments. The United Nations agencies based in Riyadh will provide the necessary technical support.
The Kingdom has undergone rapid demographic changes in recent years. It has also finalized agreements on border demarcations with some neighboring countries.
The last Saudi census was conducted in 1992-93, when the total population exceeded 17 million, including 4.6 million expatriates. The 1974 census recorded a population of seven million. This showed an annual growth rate of eight percent.
According to a conservative estimate, the Kingdom’s population at present is 23 million and is projected to grow to 39 million within the next 20 years — at an annual rate of 3.3 percent.
The statistics department said the new census will be comprehensive. Demographic data such as the male and female population, their distribution in cities, towns and villages, and detailed information pertaining to the basic amenities available in rural and urban areas will be collected and analyzed.
The findings will help the country’s planners to adopt strategies to improve living conditions in rural areas and to lessen pressure on major cities.
This census will also help the government to learn various demographic trends in Saudi Arabia.
According to a study conducted by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, there has been a massive influx of the rural population into the urban areas in the past which jeopardized the national urban strategy. The national plan was to check migration from rural areas to big cities by diverting migrants to small and medium-size towns, which number more than 100 at present.
The study said the continuous growth of the population in major Saudi cities posed many risks, including deterioration of the urban environment, congestion and lack of public utilities. This will also widen the gap between various regions due to the demographic imbalance. Moreover, the trend will weaken the rural economy in the absence of proper exploitation of the country’s resources.
The study pointed out that several Saudi cities will witness massive population growth in the near future.
The capital Riyadh is on way to become the first mega city of the Gulf with its population projected to touch 11.1 million by the year 2020. This figure will account for between 33 and 36 percent of the total population of Saudi Arabia.
