The population of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries grew to 61.2 million by the end of 2024, a 36% increase compared to 2023. This is more than 2.1 million new people. This is according to a report by the GCC Statistical Center on World Population Day (July 11).

Since 2021, the population has increased by 7.6 million, showing a strong increase after the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report shows that 62.8% of the population is male (38.5 million people), while 37.2% is female (22.7 million people).

The sex ratio in the GCC is 169 men for every 100 women, which is much higher than the global average of 101 men for every 100 women. The report added that 0.7% of the world’s total population now resides in the GCC countries.