Total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Total factor productivity was 0.9467 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.9467
Change on year
down 4.3%
World rank
108th
of 120 countries
All-time high
10.72
in 1974
All-time low
0.9467
in 2023
Years of data
50
1974–2023
Total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia, 1974–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 0.9467 for total factor productivity in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is down 4.3% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia peaked at 10.72 in 1974 and was at its lowest, 0.9467, in 2023.
That places Saudi Arabia 108th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 10.72 | — |
| 1975 | 9.02 | -15.9% |
| 1976 | 8.59 | -4.8% |
| 1977 | 7.48 | -12.9% |
| 1978 | 6.05 | -19.1% |
| 1979 | 5.7 | -5.7% |
| 1980 | 5.4 | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 5.13 | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 3.94 | -23.2% |
| 1983 | 3.21 | -18.4% |
| 1984 | 2.9 | -9.8% |
| 1985 | 2.61 | -10.0% |
| 1986 | 2.53 | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 2.35 | -7.3% |
| 1988 | 2.41 | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 2.33 | -3.5% |
| 1990 | 2.44 | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 2.54 | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 2.55 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 2.42 | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 2.35 | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 2.27 | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 2.27 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 2.25 | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 2.2 | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 2.08 | -5.5% |
| 2000 | 2.09 | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 2.01 | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 1.92 | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 1.96 | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.98 | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 1.93 | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 1.82 | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 1.69 | -7.1% |
| 2008 | 1.63 | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 1.5 | -8.5% |
| 2010 | 1.44 | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 1.43 | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 1.39 | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 1.32 | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 1.28 | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 1.24 | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 1.19 | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 1.16 | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 1.15 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 1.1 | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 1.04 | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 1 | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 0.9893 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 0.9467 | -4.3% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 0.9467 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.994, 95% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 0.9467 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.9889, 96% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.93 | 5.7 | 10.72 | 6 |
| 1980s | 3.28 | 2.33 | 5.4 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.34 | 2.08 | 2.55 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.85 | 1.5 | 2.09 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.27 | 1.1 | 1.44 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9942 | 0.9467 | 1.04 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More economy & growth data for Saudi Arabia
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 69.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0168 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 580.45 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.3713 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0123 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 423.84 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.52 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia?
- Total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia was 0.9467 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total factor productivity recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.72 in 1974.
- What is the lowest total factor productivity recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9467 in 2023.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for total factor productivity?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 108th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total factor productivity rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Total factor productivity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).