According to a survey conducted in 2007, 180,412 Saudi women over 30 have never been married. The number of unmarried Saudi women over the age of 30 (spinsters) reached 2.6 percent in 2007, meaning that out of 16 women, one could be described as having reached the age of spinsterhood. The percentage of divorcees reached 2.4 percent, Alwatan reported. Some 97.4 percent of Saudi females below the age of 30 have never been married compared to the 2.6 percent who married after their thirties. Based on the data finding, 30-years is seen as the age of spinsterhood for Saudi females as their chances of becoming married decrease to less than 5 percent. Close to 40 percent of Saudi males have never been married compared to the 58.7 percent who are married. Male widowers represented 0.4 percent and divorced men represented 0.8 percent of the population. Muhanna Al-Muhanna, deputy director general of the Central Department of Statistics and Information for the Ministry of the Economy and Planning said that the sample-based surveys are an internationally recognized mechanism. He also said the Department intends to conduct a census of the population and homes as part of a census planned for GCC countries in the year 2010. He said the first stage of the census is complete and the second stage will be launched in Hail. The second stage calls for dividing cities into districts, alleys and blocs and will be followed by a third stage identifying the numbering of buildings. The fourth and final stage, will tally all the data but will not be complete until 2010. The census will be standardized in all GCC countries. The latest census data designates the population of the Kingdom as 23,980,834. In 2004 the population was 22,678,262. This shows a 5.4 percent increase of 1,302,572 at an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent. The census shows the Saudi population is 50.4 percent male and 49.6 percent female. Saudis represent 17,493,364 or 72.9 percent of the population, a 5.8 percent increase from the 2004 figure of 16,527,340. Saudis below the age of 15 form 37.2 percent of the population. The census also illustrates – out of 223 persons there are 100 women. The unusually high ratio of men to women is attributed to the high demand for expatriate male labor.
