Western Sahara Population (LIVE)

retrieving data...
Western Sahara Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Western Sahara is 594,093 as of Tuesday, November 5, 2024, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • Western Sahara 2024 population is estimated at 590,506 people at mid year.
  • Western Sahara population is equivalent to 0.01% of the total world population.
  • Western Sahara ranks number 171 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Western Sahara is 2 per Km2 (6 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 266,000 Km2 (102,703 sq. miles).
  • 96.6 % of the population is urban (570,194 people in 2024).
  • The median age in Western Sahara is 32.3 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Western Sahara (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationWestern Sahara
Global Rank
2024 590,506 1.86 % 10,777 5,358 32.3 2.18 2 96.6 % 570,194 0.01 % 8,161,972,572 171
2023 579,729 1.93 % 10,990 5,606 32.0 2.16 2 96.2 % 557,431 0.01 % 8,091,734,930 171
2022 568,739 1.81 % 10,120 5,606 31.7 2.19 2 95.8 % 544,649 0.01 % 8,021,407,192 171
2020 549,365 2.03 % 10,925 3,496 30.9 2.25 2 94.4 % 518,663 0.01 % 7,887,001,292 171
2015 486,222 3.48 % 15,301 7,235 29.0 2.42 2 93.6 % 455,229 0.01 % 7,470,491,872 172
2010 409,716 3.88 % 14,203 9,086 26.9 2.64 2 N.A. N.A. 0.01 % 7,021,732,148 173
2005 338,699 4.49 % 13,351 8,389 24.4 2.89 1 N.A. N.A. 0.01 % 6,586,970,132 177
2000 271,943 5.31 % 12,4048,439 21.8 3.49 1 99.1 % 269,434 0.00 % 6,171,702,993 179
1995 209,924 3.18 % 6,076 6,444 18.7 4.05 1 N.A. N.A. 0.00 % 5,758,878,982 181
1990 179,544 3.42 % 5,557 1,191 18.9 4.69 1 N.A. N.A. 0.00 % 5,327,803,110 182
1985 151,760 5.27 % 6,877 1,191 20.6 5.36 1 98.9 % 150,098 0.00 % 4,868,943,465 185
1980 117,374 11.90 % 10,097 7,343 21.2 5.86 0 97.3 % 114,195 0.00 % 4,447,606,236 186
1975 66,889 -1.39 % -968 -18,665 16.7 6.20 0 66.6 % 44,566 0.00 % 4,070,735,277 195
1970 71,728 10.50 % 5,639 12,426 20.3 6.37 0 45.1 % 32,358 0.00 % 3,694,683,794 192
1965 43,532 7.50 % 2,641 1,647 22.4 6.52 0 42.4 % 18,443 0.00 % 3,334,533,703 208
1960 30,328 8.46 % 2,024 1,417 22.6 6.41 0 33.7 % 10,218 0.00 % 3,015,470,894 205
1955 20,207 9.29 % 1,449 1,191 21.6 6.19 0 32.5 % 6,576 0.00 % 2,740,213,792 208
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
back to top ↑

Western Sahara Population Forecast

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationWestern Sahara
Global Rank
2025 600,904 1.81 % 10,308 5,030 32.6 2.15 2 97.0 % 583,007 0.01 % 8,231,613,070 171
2030 647,480 1.50 % 9,315 4,533 33.7 2.06 2 99.9 % 647,036 0.01 % 8,569,124,911 170
2035 688,152 1.23 % 8,134 3,665 34.4 1.98 3 N.A. N.A. 0.01 % 8,885,210,181 170
2040 722,865 0.99 % 6,943 3,056 35.1 1.92 3 N.A. N.A. 0.01 % 9,177,190,203 168
2045 753,418 0.83 % 6,111 2,522 35.8 1.88 3 N.A. N.A. 0.01 % 9,439,639,668 168
2050 777,316 0.63 % 4,780   36.6 1.85 3 N.A. N.A. 0.01 % 9,664,378,587 168
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Western Sahara Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Western Sahara
Life Expectancy
71.58 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
22.7
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
27.0
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Western Sahara

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Laayoune 196,331
2 Dakhla 75,000
3 Boujdour 42,651

See also

back to top ↑

Notes

The Western Sahara Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Western Sahara delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Western Sahara (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Western Sahara in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.