Total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Total factor productivity was 0.9467 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Total factor productivity in Saudi Arabia, 1974–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by 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
- 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 27.03 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0212 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 731.09 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 32.63 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 52.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0256 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 882.47 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.9 % 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 Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by 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 Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by 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).
About this data
This is the level of total factor productivity, relative to each country's value in 2021 (which is set to 1). This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.