Gulf Statistics Agency: GCC countries' population to reach 62.8 million in 2025

Data from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Statistical Center showed that the population of the GCC countries reached 62.8 million in 2025, an increase of more than 6.2 million compared to 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 3.5%.

In a report issued on key demographic indicators on the occasion of World Population Day, observed annually on July 11, the Center added that the Gulf population stood at 56.6 million in 2022, before rising to 59.1 million in 2023, then to 61.5 million in 2024, and reaching an estimated 62.8 million last year.

The Center highlighted projections of continued population growth in the Gulf, with the population expected to reach approximately 83.6 million by 2050, representing an increase of about 33.1% compared to 2025. Meanwhile, data showed that the population of the GCC countries accounts for approximately 0.8% of the world’s total population.

The Center emphasized that the GCC countries “still enjoy a young demographic composition,” noting that the number of youth aged 15–34 reached approximately 23.5 million in 2024, representing 38.2% of the total population.

It clarified that the working-age population (15–64 years) accounted for 76.7% of the total population, while children under 15 made up 20.6%, and the elderly (65 years and older) comprised only about 2.6%, “reflecting the continued youthful character of the demographic structure in the GCC countries.”

According to the Center, population indicators showed a sex ratio of 168 males per 100 females across the GCC countries in 2024, with a population density of approximately 25.5 persons per square kilometer.

Regarding the demographic dependency ratio, the Center explained that the total dependency ratio stood at 30.4 dependents per 100 working-age persons in 2024, distributed as 27 children and 3.4 elderly persons per 100 working-age individuals. This “reflects that the heaviest dependency burden is associated with children rather than the elderly, due to the youthful nature of the demographic structure, with expectations of a gradual increase in the elderly dependency ratio in the future amid anticipated demographic transitions.”