Two decades of population change in Saudi Arabia: Exploring effective redistribution strategies

Abdullah Mazen Alhamoudi, Asharaf Abdul Salam

Article ID: 7232
Vol 8, Issue 13, 2024

VIEWS - 16 (Abstract) 8 (PDF)

Abstract


Census 2022 of Saudi Arabia was released recently, with 12 years of intercensal interval. Although it appeared provisional having no reports similar to the 2010 census, efforts to analyze, interpret, disseminate, and discuss were essential for building structures and systems at par with demographic trends and patterns. An analysis was carried out with this census data compared to 2004 and 2010 to track population change—demographic pace, trends, and patterns—over the two decades. Data from all three censuses were analyzed with conventional demographic techniques. A reduction in growth was observed with a declining percentage of the childhood population but with an expanding percentage of the adults (working age) indicating a demographic dividend resulted, mostly, from fertility decline. An aging trend established by the previous censuses was lost, recently: the constriction of the pyramid of 2010 was changed to a different shape. Not only the percentage distribution trends were uneven but also the age-based indices. Thus, these trends revealed a demographic difference to an extent, that demands standardized reports, uniform procedures for the data collection and compilation, and geographic distribution equations. The increasing concentration in urban centers of major administrative areas—Al-Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mokarramah, and the Eastern Region demand redistribution policies. Self-contained townships appear as a strategic option in population redistribution, guaranteeing quality standards and lifestyle.


Keywords


population redistribution; administrative areas; headquarters; population change; geographic distribution

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd7232

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