Demographics of the Middle East
The Demographics of the Middle East looks at how many people live in the region and how they are spread across countries. The Middle East is mainly in western Asia, with some areas in Africa. Britannica (2018) describes a common definition that includes Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and the Arab states of the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar) and the United Arab Emirates.
Life expectancy at birth varies by country, and the World Bank Group provides 2023 data on how long people are expected to live in each country.
In 1600, the Middle East had about 18.5 million people. North Africa had about 12 million people at that time.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:24 (CET).