Iran vs Saudi Arabia
Iran vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $7.45B in Iran and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $74B, or 11 times that in Iran.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1963.
- In 2025, Iran ranked 37 and Saudi Arabia ranked 7 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7.45B | $81.5B |
| 2024 | $7.89B | $80.3B |
| 2023 | $8.83B | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $8.36B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $7.95B | $67.4B |
| 2020 | $6.54B | $71B |
| 2019 | $6.29B | $74.3B |
| 2018 | $7.51B | $83.8B |
| 2017 | $8.46B | $81B |
| 2016 | $7.52B | $72.6B |
| 2015 | $6.55B | $102B |
| 2014 | $6.16B | $95.2B |
| 2013 | $6.18B | $80.7B |
| 2012 | $7.67B | $70.5B |
| 2011 | $7.36B | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $8.53B | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $8.39B | $59B |
| 2008 | $8.02B | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $8.33B | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $9.06B | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $7.57B | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $6.36B | $36.9B |
| 2003 | $4.92B | $33.3B |
| 2002 | $4.22B | $33B |
| 2001 | $3.92B | $37.6B |
| 2000 | $3.52B | $35.3B |
| 1999 | $3.2B | $32.1B |
| 1998 | $3.16B | $36B |
| 1997 | $3.16B | $31.2B |
| 1996 | $2.83B | $23B |
| 1995 | $2.57B | $23B |
| 1994 | $2.62B | $26.1B |
| 1993 | $2.12B | $30.2B |
| 1992 | $1.81B | $28.5B |
| 1991 | $2.09B | $30.4B |
| 1990 | $2.32B | $31.8B |
| 1989 | $2.61B | $25.3B |
| 1988 | $3.53B | $26.8B |
| 1987 | $3.81B | $29.3B |
| 1986 | $4.16B | – |
| 1985 | $5.19B | $32.9B |
| 1984 | $4.97B | $39.9B |
| 1983 | $5.7B | $37.1B |
| 1982 | $6.08B | $45.7B |
| 1981 | $5.66B | $41B |
| 1980 | $3.8B | $35.2B |
| 1979 | $4.69B | $31.5B |
| 1978 | $8.42B | $24.5B |
| 1977 | $8.85B | $21.6B |
| 1976 | $10.6B | – |
| 1975 | $9.37B | – |
| 1974 | $6.89B | – |
| 1973 | $994M | $7.36B |
| 1972 | $929M | $5.7B |
| 1971 | $1.07B | $4.06B |
| 1970 | $1.72B | $3.42B |
| 1969 | $1.59B | $3.12B |
| 1968 | $1.28B | $2.55B |
| 1967 | $972M | $2.57B |
| 1966 | $764M | $2.34B |
| 1965 | $594M | $1.41B |
| 1964 | $472M | $982M |
| 1963 | $406M | $929M |
| 1962 | $348M | – |
| 1961 | $338M | – |
| 1960 | $324M | – |
- 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
Iran vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023