The Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf has released the 10th edition of the GCC Statistical Atlas 2024, offering a comprehensive and unified snapshot of social, economic, population, and environmental trends across the six GCC Member States.
The Atlas is designed to support policymakers, researchers, and institutions by providing harmonized and comparable data that reflect development realities and guide strategic planning. It also strengthens Gulf statistical integration and reinforces the role of official statistics in future-oriented decision-making.
Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said accurate and reliable statistics form a fundamental pillar for sound planning, noting that enhanced statistical cooperation among GCC States contributes to comprehensive development and stronger economic competitiveness.
Intisar bint Abdullah Al-Wahaibi, Director-General of GCC-Stat, explained that the Atlas adopts an innovative presentation approach by integrating statistical indicators with Geographic Information Systems. This enables deeper analysis and clearer visualization of data for government entities, the private sector, media, researchers, and the public.
According to the Atlas, the total population of GCC countries reached approximately 61.5 million in 2024, with a population density of 25.5 persons per square kilometre. Youth aged 15 to 34 make up a significant share, underscoring the youthful demographic profile of the region.
Economically, GCC GDP at current prices stood at around US$2.3 trillion, while average GDP per capita reached about US$38,200. The overall inflation rate was recorded at 1.7 percent, indicating relative price stability.
Merchandise trade exchange reached roughly US$1.6 trillion, generating a trade surplus of US$109.7 billion. The Atlas also highlights GCC performance in energy, environmental sustainability, tourism, transport, and communications, reflecting continued infrastructure development and improved service levels across the region.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
