Iraq vs Saudi Arabia
Iraq vs Saudi Arabia: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 52.8% of GDP in Iraq and 31.8% of GDP in Saudi Arabia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iraq, by 21 percentage points, or 1.66 times that in Saudi Arabia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Iraq has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2004.
- In 2025, Iraq ranked 76 and Saudi Arabia ranked 122 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iraq at 73.3% of GDP and Saudi Arabia at 48.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Iraq | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 52.8 | 31.8 |
| 2024 | 45.7 | 25.9 |
| 2023 | 42.1 | 23 |
| 2022 | 39 | 21.3 |
| 2021 | 54.7 | 25.5 |
| 2020 | 72.5 | 29.7 |
| 2019 | 41.7 | 20.3 |
| 2018 | 44.4 | 16.8 |
| 2017 | 55.9 | 16 |
| 2016 | 60.3 | 12.3 |
| 2015 | 48.3 | 5.5 |
| 2014 | 27.6 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 32 | 2.1 |
| 2012 | 34.8 | 3 |
| 2011 | 40.7 | 5.3 |
| 2010 | 53.5 | 8.4 |
| 2009 | 87.4 | 14 |
| 2008 | 74.2 | 12.1 |
| 2007 | 117.1 | 17.1 |
| 2006 | 143.2 | 25.8 |
| 2005 | 227.3 | 37.3 |
| 2004 | 344.3 | 62.9 |
| 2003 | – | 81.6 |
| 2002 | – | 96.4 |
| 2001 | – | 93.2 |
| 2000 | – | 86.7 |
| 1999 | – | 103 |
| 1998 | – | 101.5 |
| 1997 | – | 76.7 |
| 1996 | – | 75.2 |
| 1995 | – | 74.3 |
| 1994 | – | 67.9 |
| 1993 | – | 58.6 |
| 1992 | – | 47.8 |
| 1991 | – | 39.4 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Iraq | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 71.1 | 35.4 |
| 2027 | 65.2 | 37.3 |
| 2028 | 62.9 | 40.2 |
| 2029 | 65.3 | 43.1 |
| 2030 | 68.7 | 45.9 |
| 2031 | 73.3 | 48.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 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
Iraq vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyIraq: 72.3 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIraq: 3.89% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateIraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIraq: 45.1 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthIraq: 2.15% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIraq: 69.9% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageIraq: 20.4 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIraq: 3.4% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateIraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIraq: $6.4B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personIraq: $139 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIraq: 459,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerIraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIraq: 55 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIraq: 20 million TIV in 1989Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023