GDP reading: GDP dropped 0.1% month-on-month in seasonally adjusted terms in April (March: +0.2% mom). On an annual basis, monthly...
Economic Growth in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's GDP growth over the last decade partly tracked OPEC decisions on oil output, given the importance of the oil sector to GDP. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp contraction, but recovery was underway by 2022, driven by the lifting of pandemic restrictions and successful economic diversification efforts boosting the non-oil economy. However, tough OPEC oil output cuts caused the economy to return to contraction in 2023 and to remain subdued in 2024, despite a buoyant non-oil sector.
In the year 2024, the economic growth in Saudi Arabia was 1.81%, compared to 4.02% in 2014 and 0.54% in 2023. It averaged 3.05% over the last decade. For more GDP information, visit our dedicated page.
Saudi Arabia GDP Chart
Note: This chart displays Economic Growth (GDP, annual variation in %) for Saudi Arabia from 2014 to 2024.
Source: Macrobond.
Saudi Arabia GDP Data
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Growth (GDP, ann. var. %) | -3.8 | 6.5 | 12.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| GDP (USD bn) | 767 | 982 | 1,237 | 1,218 | 1,239 |
| GDP (SAR bn) | 2,880 | 3,685 | 4,647 | 4,570 | 4,649 |
| Economic Growth (Nominal GDP, ann. var. %) | -13.6 | 28.0 | 26.1 | -1.7 | 1.7 |
| Economic Growth (GDP non-Oil, ann. var. %) | -1.7 | 8.9 | 10.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Economic Growth (GDP Oil, ann. var. %) | -7.4 | 2.0 | 14.5 | -9.0 | -4.4 |
Economy records slowest increase since Q2 2024 in Q1
GDP reading: According to a preliminary estimate from the General Authority for Statistics, annual GDP growth slowed to 2.7% in the first quarter, down from 4.4% in the fourth quarter of last year and marking the softest growth since Q2 2024. The print came in below market expectations. Conversely, on a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, economic growth improved to 0.9% in Q1, following the previous quarter's 0.8% increase and marking the fastest expansion in a year. The statistical office also revised past GDP data, citing a methodological change aimed at aligning more with international data quality standards.
Drivers: As has been the case since early 2023, annual GDP growth was driven by government activities and the non-oil private sector—despite the latter slowing from the prior quarter—which likely continued to be boosted by the government’s diversification agenda. In contrast, the oil sector shrank.
Consensus Forecasts and Projections for the next ten years
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Saudi Arabian GDP projections for the next ten years from a panel of 30 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable GDP forecast available for Saudi Arabian GDP.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Saudi Arabian GDP projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Saudi Arabian GDP forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.
Latest Global GDP News
-
Canada: Economy dips in April -
Argentina: GDP grows at robust pace in the first quarter Economy remains strong despite slowdown: GDP growth slowed markedly to 0.8% on a seasonally adjusted quarter on quarter basis in... -
New Zealand: GDP growth records fastest upturn since Q2 2023 in the first quarter GDP reading: GDP growth accelerated to 0.8% on a seasonally adjusted quarter on quarter basis in the first quarter, up... -
Russia: War fatigue pushes economic growth to a two-year low in Q1 War fatigue pushes economic growth to a two-year low in Q1 Second release reveals steeper slowdown: Second release reveals steeper... -
Ghana: GDP growth improves in Q1 The economy starts the year on a stronger footing: GDP growth rose to 5.3% year on year in the first... -
Uruguay: GDP growth inches down in the first quarter Economy remains robust: GDP growth waned to 3.4% year on year in the first quarter from 3.5% in the fourth... -
United Kingdom: Economic activity falls at sharpest pace since October 2023 in April GDP reading: GDP decreased 0.3% in month-on-month seasonally adjusted terms in April, which contrasted March’s 0.2% increase and undershot market...