Afghanistan vs Saudi Arabia
Afghanistan vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars: $8.55M in Afghanistan in 1977 and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 1977 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $21.6B, or 2,500 times that in Afghanistan.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1970.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Afghanistan | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | $81.5B |
| 2024 | – | $80.3B |
| 2023 | – | $79.1B |
| 2022 | – | $73.8B |
| 2021 | – | $67.4B |
| 2020 | – | $71B |
| 2019 | – | $74.3B |
| 2018 | – | $83.8B |
| 2017 | – | $81B |
| 2016 | – | $72.6B |
| 2015 | – | $102B |
| 2014 | – | $95.2B |
| 2013 | – | $80.7B |
| 2012 | – | $70.5B |
| 2011 | – | $62.3B |
| 2010 | – | $61.4B |
| 2009 | – | $59B |
| 2008 | – | $57.4B |
| 2007 | – | $58.5B |
| 2006 | – | $50.8B |
| 2005 | – | $44.6B |
| 2004 | – | $36.9B |
| 2003 | – | $33.3B |
| 2002 | – | $33B |
| 2001 | – | $37.6B |
| 2000 | – | $35.3B |
| 1999 | – | $32.1B |
| 1998 | – | $36B |
| 1997 | – | $31.2B |
| 1996 | – | $23B |
| 1995 | – | $23B |
| 1994 | – | $26.1B |
| 1993 | – | $30.2B |
| 1992 | – | $28.5B |
| 1991 | – | $30.4B |
| 1990 | – | $31.8B |
| 1989 | – | $25.3B |
| 1988 | – | $26.8B |
| 1987 | – | $29.3B |
| 1985 | – | $32.9B |
| 1984 | – | $39.9B |
| 1983 | – | $37.1B |
| 1982 | – | $45.7B |
| 1981 | – | $41B |
| 1980 | – | $35.2B |
| 1979 | – | $31.5B |
| 1978 | – | $24.5B |
| 1977 | $8.55M | $21.6B |
| 1976 | $8.11M | – |
| 1975 | $6.36M | – |
| 1974 | $6.06M | – |
| 1973 | $6.23M | $7.36B |
| 1972 | – | $5.7B |
| 1971 | – | $4.06B |
| 1970 | $5.37M | $3.42B |
| 1969 | – | $3.12B |
| 1968 | – | $2.55B |
| 1967 | – | $2.57B |
| 1966 | – | $2.34B |
| 1965 | – | $1.41B |
| 1964 | – | $982M |
| 1963 | – | $929M |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Afghanistan vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyAfghanistan: 66 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAfghanistan: 5.3 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 44 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAfghanistan: 4.14% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateAfghanistan: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAfghanistan: 41.5 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthAfghanistan: 2.85% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAfghanistan: 4.84 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAfghanistan: 25.9% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageAfghanistan: 16.9 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAfghanistan: 2.4% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateAfghanistan: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAfghanistan: 1.83% of GDP in 2021Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personAfghanistan: $7 in 2021Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAfghanistan: 5% of government spending in 2020Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAfghanistan: 165,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerAfghanistan: 0.29% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAfghanistan: 1.82% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAfghanistan: 65 million TIV in 2021Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAfghanistan: 1 million TIV in 1992Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023