Western Sahara (SADR)

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Current Country Profile

Western Sahara (SADR)

ContinentAfrica
RegionSahara–Sahel Belt
Formation1976
Age50 years
Land Area267,321 sq km
Population
579.7K
Latest 2023
Terra Firma
Population
579.7K
Latest 2023
Land Area
267,321 sq km
Africa (beyond the Nile)
Current System
Autocracy

Benchmark Shelf

Population
579.7K World 8.1B Africa 1.5B
Life Expectancy
71.4 World 73.3 Africa 64.2

Trend Wall

Population
1999-2023
579.7K
Latest 2023+122.3K / 10y
Life Expectancy
1999-2023
71.4
Latest 2023+2.8 / 10yContinent 64.2
Fertility Rate
1999-2023
2.16
Latest 2023-0.34 / 10y

Current Structure

Electricity Mix
% of total electricity output
Fossil electricity 100.0%
Nuclear electricity 0.0%
Hydroelectricity 0.0%
Other renewables 0.0%
Energy Use Mix
% of total energy use
Fossil fuel energy 100.0%
Alternative and nuclear energy 0.0%
Combustible renewables and waste 0.0%

Milestone Timeline

Formation
1976
Independence
Uses the SADR proclamation date as the modern annual-spine start.
Regime
External

Historical Footing

Before the modern state
Until 1975
Uses the SADR proclamation date as the modern annual-spine start.
State formation
1976
Uses the SADR proclamation date as the modern annual-spine start.
Current footing
1976 to present
Today Western Sahara (SADR) sits in Sahara–Sahel Belt, with a current system of Autocracy.

Annual Explorer

Demography
Population Growth
1.9%
2023
-1.7 pts / 10y
W 0.9%
C 2.3%
Density
2.2
2023
+0.5 / 10y
W n/a
C n/a
Median Age
32.0
2023
+3.8 / 10y
W 30.8
C 19.4
Net Migration
5,606
2023
-4,681 / 10y
W n/a
C n/a

Deep Data

Demography

Demography summary
MetricLatestLatest YearStartPeakLow10y25yWorldContinentSourceTrend
Median Age32.0202316.5197632.0202316.51976+3.8 / 10y+11.4 / 25y25y30.819.4UNWorldPopulationProspects
Fertility Rate2.1620236.1819766.1819762.162023-0.34 / 10y-1.56 / 25y25y2.184.12UNWorldPopulationProspects
Net Migration5,606202311,794197611,79419761,1871994-4,681 / 10y-2,456 / 25y25yn/an/aUNWorldPopulationProspects
Population579.7K202364.5K1976579.7K202364.5K1976+122.3K / 10y+333.4K / 25y25y8.1B1.5BUNWorldPopulationProspects
Population Growth1.9%202319.8%197619.8%19761.6%2021-1.7 pts / 10y-3.2 pts / 25y25y0.9%2.3%UNWorldPopulationProspects
Density2.220230.219762.220230.21976+0.5 / 10y+1.3 / 25y25yn/an/aUNWorldPopulationProspects
Demography year by year 1976–2023 · 48 years · 6 metrics
Year Median AgeFertility RateNet MigrationPopulationPopulation GrowthDensity
197616.56.1811,79464.5K19.8%0.2
197717.76.1211,78477.4K16.9%0.3
197819.56.0611,79390.9K15.4%0.3
197920.65.9611,793105.0K13.6%0.4
198021.25.867,343117.4K9.0%0.4
198121.35.714,521126.9K6.7%0.5
198221.35.602,462134.5K5.0%0.5
198321.25.521,191140.6K3.9%0.5
198420.95.441,191146.2K3.8%0.5
198520.65.361,191151.8K3.7%0.6
198620.25.221,191157.4K3.5%0.6
198719.85.081,191162.9K3.3%0.6
198819.44.941,191168.4K3.3%0.6
198919.14.811,190173.9K3.1%0.7
199018.94.691,191179.5K3.2%0.7
199118.74.541,190185.3K3.1%0.7
199218.64.401,191190.9K2.9%0.7
199318.54.271,190196.5K2.8%0.7
199418.44.151,187201.9K2.7%0.8
199518.74.056,444209.9K5.1%0.8
199619.43.948,062221.4K5.6%0.8
199720.13.838,062233.8K5.3%0.9
199820.73.728,062246.3K5.1%0.9
199921.23.618,062259.0K4.9%1.0
200021.83.498,439271.9K4.9%1.0
200122.33.348,437285.2K4.7%1.1
200222.83.198,439298.5K4.5%1.1
200323.43.078,439311.8K4.3%1.2
200423.92.978,437325.2K4.1%1.2
200524.42.898,389338.7K4.0%1.3
200625.02.838,980352.6K4.1%1.3
200725.52.788,560366.9K3.8%1.4
200826.02.728,145380.8K3.6%1.4
200926.42.688,597395.0K3.7%1.5
201026.92.649,086409.7K3.7%1.5
201127.42.599,556425.1K3.7%1.6
201227.82.5510,011441.0K3.7%1.7
201328.22.5010,287457.4K3.6%1.7
201428.62.467,407472.6K2.9%1.8
201529.02.427,235486.2K2.8%1.8
201629.42.387,053499.7K2.7%1.9
201729.82.356,865512.8K2.5%1.9
201830.22.326,695525.8K2.4%2.0
201930.62.286,528538.4K2.3%2.0
202030.92.253,496549.4K1.7%2.1
202131.32.223,496558.6K1.6%2.1
202231.72.195,606568.7K1.9%2.1
202332.02.165,606579.7K1.9%2.2

Health

Health summary
MetricLatestLatest YearStartPeakLow10y25yWorldContinentSourceTrend
Life Expectancy71.4202336.3197671.4202336.31976+2.8 / 10y+9.7 / 25y25y73.364.2UNWorldPopulationProspects
Health year by year 1976–2023 · 48 years · 1 metric
Year Life Expectancy
197636.3
197738.3
197840.4
197937.5
198039.4
198144.2
198245.2
198346.1
198446.9
198547.8
198648.5
198748.8
198852.1
198951.4
199057.7
199158.2
199258.7
199359.2
199459.7
199560.2
199660.7
199761.2
199861.7
199962.2
200062.7
200163.2
200263.7
200364.2
200464.7
200565.2
200665.7
200766.1
200866.6
200967.1
201067.5
201167.9
201268.2
201368.6
201469.0
201569.3
201669.6
201769.9
201870.1
201970.4
202070.6
202170.9
202271.1
202371.4
Generated 2026-04-12T13:36:08.1317243Z
Sources: CountryPageNarrative | CowStateSystem | GeoBoundariesADM0 | Roster | SiteModernCountryData | UNWorldPopulationProspects | WorldBankWdi