How many people live in Western Sahara right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
613,811
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 172 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0074%
- Median age
- 32.8 years
- Children per woman
- 2.13
- Life expectancy
- 72.0 years
- People per km²
- 2
According to UN estimates, about 613,811 people live in Western Sahara right now. It ranks 172nd out of 237 countries and territories by population, between Montenegro and Malta, and it is home to one in every 13,600 people on the planet.
Every day, about 20 people are born there and about 11 die. More people arrive than leave: net migration adds about 4,700 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 30 people a day (1.58% a year).
In 1950, about 12,960 people lived there. Today there are 47 times as many. The UN expects it to peak around 2089, at about 836,624, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 777,316 people (27% more than today), and by 2100 about 831,294.
Half of its people are younger than 33 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 2.13 children each, above the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 72 years (worldwide, 74). There are 2 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Western Sahara in 2026?
- Western Sahara has about 613,811 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 610,813.
- How many people are born each day in Western Sahara?
- About 20 a day (9,000 a year). About 11 people die each day (4,000 a year).
- Is the population of Western Sahara growing?
- Yes: it grows by 1.58% a year, or about 9,700 people.
- What will the population of Western Sahara be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 777,316, with a peak around 2089 at about 836,624.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Luxembourg 689,603
- Suriname 646,932
- Montenegro 625,164
- Malta 549,632
- Maldives 532,122
- Cape Verde 530,339
More countries in Africa
- Nigeria 243,985,750
- Ethiopia 139,989,183
- Egypt 120,651,346
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 117,604,081
- Tanzania 73,203,823
- South Africa 65,670,725
- Kenya 58,985,365
- Sudan 53,734,919
- Uganda 53,195,379
- Algeria 48,206,513
- Angola 40,591,253
- Morocco 38,862,726
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.