Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Share of births attended by skilled health staff was 94.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2019
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 94.8% for share of births attended by skilled health staff in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of births attended by skilled health staff in Saudi Arabia peaked at 99.7% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 88.0%, in 1990.
That places Saudi Arabia 109th out of 169 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 88.0% | — |
| 1995 | 91.4% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 91.4% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 91.0% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 96.0% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 96.0% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 96.0% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 97.0% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 97.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 97.0% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 97.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 98.0% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 98.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 98.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 99.7% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 99.4% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 94.8% | -4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 90.3% | 88.0% | 91.4% | 3 |
| 2000s | 95.7% | 91.0% | 97.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 97.8% | 94.8% | 99.7% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More health data for Saudi Arabia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8373 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3736 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 483.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 829 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 7.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0087 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 6.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0142 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of births attended by skilled health staff in Saudi Arabia?
- Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Saudi Arabia was 94.8% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 99.7% in 2017.
- What is the lowest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.0% in 1990.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for share of births attended by skilled health staff?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 109th out of 169 countries with data for 2019.
- Is share of births attended by skilled health staff rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of births attended by skilled health staff. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Skilled health staff refers to professionals trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.