Ethiopia vs Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $785M in Ethiopia and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $80.7B, or 100 times that in Ethiopia.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1965.
- In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 85 and Saudi Arabia ranked 7 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Ethiopia | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $785M | $81.5B |
| 2024 | $700M | $80.3B |
| 2023 | $982M | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $1.01B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $492M | $67.4B |
| 2020 | $510M | $71B |
| 2019 | $585M | $74.3B |
| 2018 | $628M | $83.8B |
| 2017 | $636M | $81B |
| 2016 | $610M | $72.6B |
| 2015 | $531M | $102B |
| 2014 | $515M | $95.2B |
| 2013 | $497M | $80.7B |
| 2012 | $496M | $70.5B |
| 2011 | $515M | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $528M | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $544M | $59B |
| 2008 | $553M | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $693M | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $751M | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $832M | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $829M | $36.9B |
| 2003 | $764M | $33.3B |
| 2002 | $897M | $33B |
| 2001 | $1.08B | $37.6B |
| 2000 | $1.7B | $35.3B |
| 1999 | $1.88B | $32.1B |
| 1998 | $1.19B | $36B |
| 1997 | $555M | $31.2B |
| 1996 | $302M | $23B |
| 1995 | $259M | $23B |
| 1994 | $307M | $26.1B |
| 1993 | $334M | $30.2B |
| 1992 | $302M | $28.5B |
| 1991 | $510M | $30.4B |
| 1990 | $1.03B | $31.8B |
| 1989 | $1.08B | $25.3B |
| 1988 | $912M | $26.8B |
| 1987 | $757M | $29.3B |
| 1986 | $681M | – |
| 1985 | $600M | $32.9B |
| 1984 | $704M | $39.9B |
| 1983 | $737M | $37.1B |
| 1982 | $694M | $45.7B |
| 1981 | $697M | $41B |
| 1980 | $724M | $35.2B |
| 1979 | $582M | $31.5B |
| 1978 | $435M | $24.5B |
| 1977 | $377M | $21.6B |
| 1976 | $417M | – |
| 1975 | $524M | – |
| 1974 | $334M | – |
| 1973 | $238M | $7.36B |
| 1972 | $241M | $5.7B |
| 1971 | $216M | $4.06B |
| 1970 | $208M | $3.42B |
| 1969 | $228M | $3.12B |
| 1968 | $233M | $2.55B |
| 1967 | $249M | $2.57B |
| 1966 | $295M | $2.34B |
| 1965 | $287M | $1.41B |
| 1964 | – | $982M |
| 1963 | – | $929M |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
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
Ethiopia vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEthiopia: 138,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEthiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023