The population of the capital had risen to 4.8 million at the end of 2009 with an average growth of four percent, according the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh City. The Saudi population of the city is 68 percent, with foreigners at 32 percent. Males dominate the population, at 55 percent. The average age of the Saudi population is 18 years of age, with 34 percent below the age of 15. The commission conducts periodic studies of development issues such as demographic research to measure population characteristics and size, which it says help identify future needs such as housing, health and education, and the number of jobs that need to be created.
