India vs Saudi Arabia
India vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 2.3% of GDP in India and 6.48% of GDP in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 4.19 percentage points, or 2.82 times that in India.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1963.
- In 2025, India ranked 43 and Saudi Arabia ranked 5 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | India | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.3 | 6.48 |
| 2024 | 2.22 | 6.41 |
| 2023 | 2.36 | 6.38 |
| 2022 | 2.38 | 5.72 |
| 2021 | 2.47 | 6.43 |
| 2020 | 2.8 | 8.41 |
| 2019 | 2.55 | 7.35 |
| 2018 | 2.42 | 8.42 |
| 2017 | 2.53 | 9.5 |
| 2016 | 2.54 | 9.24 |
| 2015 | 2.46 | 12.57 |
| 2014 | 2.54 | 10.26 |
| 2013 | 2.55 | 8.71 |
| 2012 | 2.62 | 7.51 |
| 2011 | 2.7 | 7.13 |
| 2010 | 2.89 | 8.57 |
| 2009 | 3.13 | 9.62 |
| 2008 | 2.63 | 7.35 |
| 2007 | 2.48 | 8.53 |
| 2006 | 2.68 | 7.85 |
| 2005 | 2.91 | 7.73 |
| 2004 | 2.83 | 8.08 |
| 2003 | 2.68 | 8.69 |
| 2002 | 2.83 | 9.76 |
| 2001 | 2.92 | 11.42 |
| 2000 | 2.95 | 10.53 |
| 1999 | 2.96 | 11.38 |
| 1998 | 2.73 | 14.31 |
| 1997 | 2.65 | 11 |
| 1996 | 2.47 | 8.47 |
| 1995 | 2.58 | 9.28 |
| 1994 | 2.67 | 10.64 |
| 1993 | 2.82 | 12.47 |
| 1992 | 2.71 | 11.28 |
| 1991 | 2.91 | 12.47 |
| 1990 | 3.15 | 14.02 |
| 1989 | 3.53 | 13.39 |
| 1988 | 3.73 | 15.15 |
| 1987 | 4.23 | 16.9 |
| 1986 | 4.11 | – |
| 1985 | 3.57 | 17 |
| 1984 | 3.42 | 19 |
| 1983 | 3.32 | 16.97 |
| 1982 | 3.35 | 17.72 |
| 1981 | 3.19 | 13.27 |
| 1980 | 3.13 | 12.61 |
| 1979 | 3.26 | 15.77 |
| 1978 | 3.13 | 16.74 |
| 1977 | 3.16 | 15.65 |
| 1976 | 3.48 | – |
| 1975 | 3.54 | – |
| 1974 | 3.2 | – |
| 1973 | 3.16 | 10.84 |
| 1972 | 3.72 | 10.08 |
| 1971 | 3.65 | 8.64 |
| 1970 | 3.19 | 9.4 |
| 1969 | 3.14 | 9.57 |
| 1968 | 3.25 | 8.09 |
| 1967 | 3.22 | 11.51 |
| 1966 | 3.57 | 11.32 |
| 1965 | 3.87 | 7.69 |
| 1964 | 3.82 | 5.97 |
| 1963 | 4.03 | 5.9 |
| 1962 | 2.75 | – |
| 1961 | 2.07 | – |
| 1960 | 2 | – |
| 1959 | 2.14 | – |
| 1958 | 1.92 | – |
| 1957 | 2.48 | – |
| 1956 | 2.02 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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
India vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIndia: 35.7% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIndia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIndia: 3.07 million people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIndia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIndia: 81 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023