In its recent statistical report, the Ministry of Health (MOH), has pointed out that the average life expectancy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has risen to74.3 years during the last year, which exceeds the regional average by 6 years and the international average by 4 years. “The population rate for the age group below 15 in the Kingdom amounted to 29.12%, which is lower than that rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region by 34%, but higher than the international rate by 27%. The crude birth rate per 1000 people amounted to 21 newborns, which is lower than the regional rate by 31.4% and the international rate by 24.3%, while the mortality rate amounted to 3.9%, which is lower than the regional rate by 6.3% and less than half of the international rate by 7.9%. The infant mortality rate per 1000 Saudi live births amounted to 7.4%, which is significantly lower than the regional rate by 44% and the international rate by 37%,” said the report.
It added that there has been a significant decrease in the measles cases between the years 2006 and 2015, at 3.41% per 100,000 people and 0.96% per 100,000 people respectively, and the rate of immunization coverage against infectious diseases (pentavalent vaccine, polio, tuberculosis, MMR, streptococcus pneumoniae) has increased from 95% to 97%