Qatar’s population fell by some 34,000 people between the end of November and December 2014, due to the usual dip that takes place as residents travel for the holiday season.
That means 2,235,431 people were here to mark the New Year, as opposed to 2,045,239 last year.
At the same time last year, the population fell by almost 23,000 people from the end of November to December 2013.
Despite the recent drop, new figures from the Ministry of Development, Planning and Statistics show that Qatar has seen the country grow by some 190,000 people over the past 12 months.
The number will likely appear much larger when population numbers for the end of January are released, as by then many residents will have returned from holiday.
The population has grown by some 40 percent since December 2010, when Qatar was awarded hosting rights to the 2022 World Cup. Since then, it has been importing manpower at a rapid rate to support its many time-sensitive infrastructure projects.
Slowing growth
Still, this year’s jump is less of an increase than Qatar saw between December 2012 and December 2013, when some 208,563 people were added to the country.
This suggests that growth, while continuing at an astounding pace relative to most of the world’s countries, is actually slowing down.
The news likely comes as a welcome relief for many people living in Qatar, which has for several months struggled to accommodate newcomers in schools, hospitals and on the roads.
In terms of future growth predictions, Qatar National Bank has previously said it expects the population to reach 2.5 million by 2016, taking into account a 7.4 percent annual growth rate.
Thoughts?
Wtf! Year on year population growth of 10% and a 40% growth since 2010! No wonder this whole place is breaking down … Must be good to be any business owner
Replace the babies with expats
It would be interesting to see the nationality breakdown of new arrivals. It’s very hard to get indian visas these days and some other nationalities. I wonder where they are all coming from.
Nepal, and probably Vietnam. Soon the quota system on nationalities will be removed, I expect many Pakistani and Egyptian visas to be issued … Also Philipines … I remember reading the MoI has some 90,000 new job visas prepared for Philipines applications
If there is one nationality that drives me crazy it’s Egyptians. Can Qatar upset Egypt again so the visas are near impossible to get……
More than the Lebanese ?
I think the nationality quota system is more intricate than what we think. 3 weeks ago, our immigration coordinator in the office was told (by the immigration department) that there are no more visas for Ukranians and Russians. Two days later, he was told the same for Jordanians. And then last week, the ban on Jordanians was lifted, but it is still running for Russians and Ukranians.
The whole quota thing is not easy to understand and manage, and is partly based on politics, and partly on the need to balance the population breakup by nationality, while meeting the needs of businesses and citizens.
I am quite sure the people working at the Ministry of Interior are struggling to make these things work, as it is clearly not an easy task.
Talking about the Lebanese, last year a Lebanese colleague was not able to bring her parents on a visit visa. The visa for her mom was accepted, but not for her dad. She tried many times to understand the issue but to no avail. She eventually gave up and none of her parents visited her.
Probably her dad sounds like someone on a watch list or is Shia… Lebanese Shia are no longer granted visas
No to work with the Lebanese is ok, it’s just outside of work they are posers. Actually Egyptians socially are great, work wise annoying!
I know that is a sweeping generalistation but I’m sure there are many that get the idea….
A big yes lol
These figures are largely meaningless, the population needs to based on the total number of local citizens plus those with residence visas. Just counting population movement in and out of the country is not helpful. Yet another piece of poor statistical reporting by Doha News.
I’m not one to defend dn.co, but those numbers do not exist. Ministry of Statistics or whatever their called only track total individuals in the country. At any given time it is impossible to have more than 5,000 visitors in the country at a given time… Most are residents
It’s more accurate as it also includes the “illegals” who come here on a touristic visa and work.
It is a methodology adopted by the Qatar Statistical Authority (QSA)….
….why don’t you write a strong email to them 🙂
The strain on infrastructure and resources is just too high…if I was a Qatari i’d be scratching my head in bewilderment asking…what is all this for? 300,000 of us and all this? No wonder they sometimes drive so aggressively, probably just wish we would all nick off and leave them in peace?
Do you ever write anything useful? Your comments are full of negativity and hatred.
I just write the truth. And how is this comment full of hatred and negativity and let’s face it Qatar is a S&$t hole full of corruption, human right abuses and racism. Lived it, hated it .
Errm… If the 300,000 and all that came before weren’t here, then there’d be little road to be driving aggressively on and little to be travelling from and too…
And I’m also not sure that lots of non-qatari’s driving or living in Qatar is a justifiable reason for aggressive driving (that’s not to say that there isn’t a general lack of driving ability – possibly due to large cross-national “bad-habits” and “local rules/presidents”)
Precisely my point I’m glad you agree!
Time to develop economic models for developing other cities in Qatar to spread the population across…..QP shifting its IT to Dukhan is a good start…poor fellas.
The HIA should have been built bang in the center of Qatar rather than reclaim land.
Set up a Free trade zone in Shamal – popln of 5000 with ferries to Bahrain as QDC would be too far :-/
Lot more options…