Hassan Al -Sitry
The General Authority for Statistics revealed in its annual report for the year 2024 a comprehensive picture on the conditions of Saudi women in various social, educational, health and labor markets, confirming the great progress in empowering women and enhancing their participation in the national development process, in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.
The report pointed out that Saudi women have become an essential partner in decision -making and change, as the indicators showed a remarkable decrease in gender gaps between the sexes in several areas, including education and economic participation. For example, the gender gap in unemployment rates between the Saudis reached 8.8% for women, while a negative wage gap was recorded for men with an average of 27%.
According to the report, the number of Saudi women in 2024 reached about 9.8 million, the age group (15-34 years) represented the largest percentage of 35.7%, which reflects a promising youth base. The Al -Omari mediator for Saudi women also reached 24 years, while women over the age of sixty constituted about 6.2% of the total Saudi women.
The report stated that 35.3% of Saudi women over the age of 25 obtained a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, while the percentage of masters holders reached 2.1% and the doctorate 0.2%. Saudi women were also distinguished in the field of talent and innovation, as the students won more than 7,000 “talent” grants, in addition to achieving achievements in international scientific, cultural and sports competitions.
The report indicates that 22 Saudis received a patent, and 1956 Saudi Arabia won sports prizes in local and international competitions.
The participation of women in the labor market witnessed a great leap; As the participation rate reached 17.3% in the workforce, while the annual unemployment decreased from 19% to 13% in recent years. The health and tourism sectors recorded a remarkable presence of women, with a percentage among the workers in them about 45%. The number of Saudi women also increased in leadership positions and commercial companies ’boards.
The report shows that the average working hours of Saudi women are 39 hours per week, and that the average wages of women in the age group from 25 to 54 are 8328 Saudi riyals.
The report highlighted the health aspects of women, indicating that 44.6% of Saudi women over the age of 18 practice physical activity regularly, while data showed that there are varying levels of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, especially after the age of fifty. The total fertility rate for Saudi women has reached 2.7 children for each woman. The survey also showed that about 13.8% of women suffer from anemia.
Statistics confirmed that Saudi women have become more present in cultural and recreational activities, as parks and parks topped the list of the most visited destinations by 62.7%, followed by commercial centers and entertainment offers. A prominent percentage of Saudi women also showed interest in cultural practices such as art, reading and photography.
The report confirms that empowering women economically and healthy is an essential pillar to achieve the targets of Saudi Vision 2030, as it reflects a new reality for Saudi women, as it has become more present in education, the labor market, health and culture, which makes them a pivotal partner in sustainable development and making the future of the Kingdom, in line with the ambitious national vision.
