Umrah pilgrimage sees significant increase in 2024; reports show 35% growth in third quarter

A total of 6,254,751 people performed Umrah during the third quarter of 2024, marking a 35% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to a recent report from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

The report revealed that the total number of pilgrims, both local and international, who performed Umrah during July, August, and September of 2024 reached 6.25 million. Of this, 57.4% were male pilgrims, while female travellers made up 42.6%. Notably, Saudi nationals accounted for 10.7% of all pilgrims during this period.

Breaking down the figures, there were 3,348,512 foreign pilgrims, a 29.2% increase over the third quarter of 2023. Among international pilgrims, 51% were male (1,707,514), while 49% were female (1,638,743).

Domestic pilgrims also saw a significant rise, with 2,906,239 people performing Umrah within Saudi Arabia, a 42.4% increase compared to 2023. Of the domestic pilgrims, 76.9% (2,234,510) were non-Saudis, while 23.1% (671,729) were Saudi nationals. The breakdown of domestic pilgrims showed that 64.8% were male (1,883,199), while 35.2% were female (1,023,040).

In terms of age demographics, the largest percentage of foreign pilgrims (17.6%) were in the 35-44 age group, with the smallest proportion (9.2%) being over 65 years old. Meanwhile, 29.2% of domestic pilgrims were in the 30-39 age range.

The report also highlighted that 2,295,747 domestic pilgrims completed the Umrah rites during the third quarter, with 64% being men and 36% women. August saw the highest number of first-time domestic Umrah performers, accounting for 40.1% of all domestic pilgrims during that month.

The report further provided insights into the types of visas used by international pilgrims. Of the foreign pilgrims in Q3 2024, 2.9% entered on a Gulf visa, 6.6% on an electronic visit visa, 29.7% on other types of visas, and 60.8% on an Umrah visa.