France vs Saudi Arabia
France vs Saudi Arabia: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1% of the labour force in France and 1.92% of the labour force in Saudi Arabia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 0.92 percentage points, or 1.91 times that in France.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, France ranked 68 and Saudi Arabia ranked 31 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | France | Saudi Arabia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 1.92 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1.85 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1.89 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 1.01 | 1.84 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 1.01 | 1.78 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 1.01 | 1.88 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 1.03 | 2.04 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 1.05 | 2.15 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 1.08 | 2.33 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 1.11 | 2.54 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 1.15 | 2.79 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 1.15 | 2.9 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 1.2 | 2.95 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 1.21 | 3.15 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 1.22 | 3.4 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 1.25 | 3.27 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 1.26 | 3.47 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 1.27 | 3.72 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 1.3 | 3.96 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1.36 | 4.23 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 1.43 | 4.44 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 1.52 | 3.9 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.69 | 4.05 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.78 | 4.21 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.84 | 4.38 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 1.9 | 4.53 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 1.93 | 4.36 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 1.94 | 4.77 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 2.01 | 4.98 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 2.11 | 5.83 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 2.13 | 4.69 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
France vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyFrance: 83.3 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFrance: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFrance: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionFrance: 4.25% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateFrance: 12.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFrance: 66.4 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthFrance: 0.17% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFrance: 1.64 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFrance: 78.8% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageFrance: 41.8 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFrance: 21.8% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateFrance: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFrance: 2.03% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFrance: $64.5B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personFrance: $1,021 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFrance: 3.5% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelFrance: 304,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerFrance: 1.09% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsFrance: 236 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFrance: 3.37 billion TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023