Labor force, total in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Labor force, total was 18.38 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Labor force, total in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force, total in Saudi Arabia is 18.38 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.8% on the previous year and up 37.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total in Saudi Arabia peaked at 18.38 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.12 million, in 1990.
Saudi Arabia ranks 37th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.84 million | 3.12 million | 4.56 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.53 million | 4.89 million | 8.59 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.16 million | 8.92 million | 14.10 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.23 million | 14.62 million | 18.38 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 73.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 23.6% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 104.0% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 244,652 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 2.31 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 104.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total in Saudi Arabia?
- Labor force, total in Saudi Arabia was 18.38 million in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, total recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.38 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.12 million in 1990.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for labor force, total?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 37th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.