GCC Population Surges by 4 Million in Two Years

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

According to recent statistics released by the GCC Statistical Centre, the total population of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries witnessed a significant increase of 7.3% in 2023 compared to 2021, reaching 57.6 million.

Bahrain secured the fifth position among GCC countries in terms of population growth over the past two years. The statistics revealed a remarkable rise of 3.9 million individuals within this period, with the GCC population standing at 53.6 million in 2021.

Bahrain experienced a 4.8% increase in population, rising from approximately 1.5 million in 2021 to 1.6 million in 2023. Kuwait witnessed the highest population growth among GCC countries, with a 16.5% increase, reaching 4.9 million in 2023 from 4.2 million in 2021. Oman followed closely with a 14.1% population surge, reaching 5.2 million in 2023 from 4.5 million in 2021. Qatar recorded an 11.5% increase in population, reaching 3.1 million in 2023 from 2.7 million in 2021.

The United Arab Emirates experienced an 8.3% population growth, reaching 10.7 million in 2023 from 9.9 million in 2021. Although ranking first in terms of population, Saudi Arabia witnessed a 4.5% increase, reaching 32.2 million in 2022 from 30.8 million in 2021. Data for 2023 is currently unavailable.

The GCC Statistical Center projects the global population to reach 10.2 billion by 2080, with the world population standing at 8.2 billion in 2023.