The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued today the Labor Market Publication for the third quarter of 2024. According to the findings of the publication, the unemployment rate among Saudis in the third quarter of 2024 stood at 7.8%, reflecting an increase of 0.7 percentage points compared to the second quarter of the same year, yet demonstrating an annual decrease of 1.0 percentage points relative to the third quarter of 2023.

The publication further revealed that the overall labor force participation rate (including Saudis and non-Saudis) rose by 0.4 percentage points from the second quarter of 2024, reaching 66.6%. Additionally, the labor force participation rate among Saudi nationals increased by 0.7 percentage points during the third quarter of 2024, reaching 51.5%, which also represents an annual rise of 0.7 percentage points. The employment-to-population ratio for Saudis grew by 0.2 percentage points to 47.4%, reflecting an annual increase of 1.1 percentage points.

The results also highlighted a notable increase of 0.8 percentage points in the labor force participation rate of Saudi females, which reached 36.2%. Furthermore, the employment-to-population ratio among Saudi females rose by 0.5 percentage points to 31.3%. For young Saudi females aged 15-24, the labor force participation rate increased by 1.0 percentage point to 18.0%, while their employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.6 percentage points to 13.6% during the third quarter of 2024.

Among Saudi young males, labor force participation rose by 1.1 percentage points, reaching 34.6%. For Saudi males as a whole, the labor force participation rate increased by 0.6 percentage points, reaching 66.9%, while their employment-to-population ratio rose to 63.7%. Regarding Saudi nationals within the core working-age group (25-54 years), the labor force participation rate increased by 0.7 percentage points, reaching 69.4%, while the employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.3 percentage points, reaching 64.8%.

It is worth noting that unemployed Saudis adopt a diverse range of active job search methods, with an average of 5.0 methods utilized per job seeker. Among these, the most frequently employed method was seeking job opportunities through friends or relatives, accounting for 87.7%. This was followed by direct applications to employers, at 75.0%, while 71.2% utilized the Unified National Employment Platform (Jadarat).
 

GASTA announced today the results of the 2023 Food Security Statistics Publication in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to the Publication, dates achieved the highest self-sufficiency rate among plant-based products in the Kingdom for 2023, reaching 119%, followed by figs and eggplants, each at 107%, then cucumbers at 102%, and zucchini at 100%. Potatoes recorded a self-sufficiency rate of 87%, tomatoes 76%, and onions 51%.

The results also indicated that shrimp achieved the highest self-sufficiency rate among animal-based products in the Kingdom for 2023, reaching 147%, followed by dairy products at 129%, and table eggs at 100%. Regarding meat, the self-sufficiency rate for poultry meat stood at 71%, while red meat reached 61%. For fish, the self-sufficiency rate was recorded at 48%.

The Publication also presented data on per capita supply (available for consumption). Among plant-based products, rice recorded the highest per capita consumption rate in the Kingdom for 2023, at 45.77 kg/year, followed by dates at 38.58 kg/year, and tomatoes at 22.25 kg/year. The per capita consumption of onions and potatoes stood at 17.52 kg/year and 16.08 kg/year, respectively. for fruits, the per capita consumption of bananas was 11.31 kg/year and oranges 10.64 kg/year, while coffee (beans) recorded 2.61 kg/year.

As for animal-based products, milk registered the highest per capita consumption at 70.19 liters/year, followed by poultry meat at 43.40 kg/year. The per capita consumption of eggs was 246 eggs/year, and red meat stood at 10.80 kg/year.

It is worth noting that the 2023 Food Security Statistics Publication provides comprehensive data on the four dimensions of food security: availability, accessibility, stability, and utilization. The bulletin was based on data from surveys and statistical reports issued by the General Authority for Statistics, as well as administrative records from the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, the General Food Security Authority, and the Agricultural Development Fund.

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced today the results of the Comprehensive Economic Survey publication for 2023 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results included a set of key indicators reflecting the main structural features of the business sector.

The survey results revealed that the total operating revenues amounted to SAR 5,292 billion, while the total operating expenses reached SAR 2,165 billion. Additionally, the compensation for employees in the sector amounted to SAR 544.7 billion. The results also indicated that the total fixed capital formation value for this sector amounted to SAR 867.8 billion.

It is noteworthy that the results of the Comprehensive Economic Survey will contribute to the formation of highly accurate, comprehensive, and professional statistical data and indicators. These will highlight the real and actual economic growth in the Kingdom, meeting the requirements of statistical organizations and local, regional, and international entities.

It is worth mentioning that the Comprehensive Economic Survey serves as an integrated database for economic data. It directly contributes to providing and measuring a wide range of economic indicators. It offers precise, updated, and more detailed statistical data and indicators about establishments in the Kingdom, supporting decision-makers, policymakers, and investors and enabling them to develop and enhance the business sector in the Kingdom.

GASTAT announced today the results of Umrah statistics for the third quarter of 2024. The results revealed that the total number of Umrah performers reached 6,254,751 in Q3 of 2024, reflecting an increase of 35.0% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Male Umrah performers constituted 57.4%, while female Umrah performers accounted for 42.6% of the total during the quarter. Saudi Umrah performers made up 10.7% of the total during Q3 of 2024.

The report indicated that the total number of Umrah performers from abroad reached 3,348,512 in Q3 of 2024, representing a 29.2% increase compared to Q3 of 2023. Among them, male performers numbered 1,707,514 (or 51.0%), while female performers numbered 1,638,743 (or 49.0%) of the total foreign Umrah performers during Q3 of 2024.

The results also showed that the total number of domestic Umrah performers reached approximately 2,906,239 in Q3 of 2024, reflecting a 42.4% increase compared to Q3 of 2023. Of these, 671,729 were Saudi nationals (23.1%), while 2,234,510 were non-Saudis (76.9%). Additionally, male Umrah performers from within the Kingdom numbered 1,883,199 (64.8%), while female performers numbered 1,023,040 (35.2%) of the total domestic Umrah performers during Q3 of 2024.

The report highlighted that foreign Umrah performers aged between 35 and 44 years formed the largest percentage, constituting 17.6% of the total foreign Umrah performers in Q3 of 2024. On the other hand, those aged over 65 years made up the smallest percentage at 9.2%. Conversely, domestic Umrah performers aged between 30 and 39 years represented the largest group, accounting for 29.2% of the total domestic Umrah performers in the same quarter.

The results further showed that the number of domestic Umrah performers who performed Umrah only once reached approximately 2,295,747. Among them, 64.0% were male, and 36.0% were female. August recorded the highest percentage of domestic Umrah performers who performed Umrah once, representing 40.1% of the total domestic Umrah performers for this category during Q3 of 2024.

The report also revealed that 60.8% of foreign Umrah performers arrived on Umrah visas, while 29.7% arrived on other types of visas. Meanwhile, 6.6% of the foreign Umrah performers arrived on electronic visit visas, and 2.9% arrived using GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) visas during Q3 of 2024.