Iraq vs Saudi Arabia
Iraq vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $6.4B in Iraq and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $75.1B, or 13 times that in Iraq.
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, Iraq ranked 40 and Saudi Arabia ranked 7 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Iraq | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6.4B | $81.5B |
| 2024 | $6.34B | $80.3B |
| 2023 | $5.07B | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $4.82B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $5.11B | $67.4B |
| 2020 | $5.3B | $71B |
| 2019 | $7.14B | $74.3B |
| 2018 | $5.89B | $83.8B |
| 2017 | $6.93B | $81B |
| 2016 | $5.58B | $72.6B |
| 2015 | $8.92B | $102B |
| 2014 | $6.51B | $95.2B |
| 2013 | $7.48B | $80.7B |
| 2012 | $4.06B | $70.5B |
| 2011 | $4.46B | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $4.14B | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $3.68B | $59B |
| 2008 | $3.86B | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $2.92B | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $1.91B | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $2.66B | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $1.97B | $36.9B |
| 2003 | – | $33.3B |
| 2002 | – | $33B |
| 2001 | – | $37.6B |
| 2000 | – | $35.3B |
| 1999 | – | $32.1B |
| 1998 | – | $36B |
| 1997 | – | $31.2B |
| 1996 | – | $23B |
| 1995 | – | $23B |
| 1994 | – | $26.1B |
| 1993 | – | $30.2B |
| 1992 | – | $28.5B |
| 1991 | – | $30.4B |
| 1990 | – | $31.8B |
| 1989 | – | $25.3B |
| 1988 | – | $26.8B |
| 1987 | – | $29.3B |
| 1985 | – | $32.9B |
| 1984 | – | $39.9B |
| 1983 | – | $37.1B |
| 1982 | – | $45.7B |
| 1981 | – | $41B |
| 1980 | – | $35.2B |
| 1979 | – | $31.5B |
| 1978 | $1.99B | $24.5B |
| 1977 | $2.1B | $21.6B |
| 1976 | $2.01B | – |
| 1975 | $2.05B | – |
| 1974 | $2.02B | – |
| 1973 | $1.03B | $7.36B |
| 1972 | $828M | $5.7B |
| 1971 | $856M | $4.06B |
| 1970 | $843M | $3.42B |
| 1969 | $824M | $3.12B |
| 1968 | $676M | $2.55B |
| 1967 | $556M | $2.57B |
| 1966 | $575M | $2.34B |
| 1965 | $563M | $1.41B |
| 1964 | $460M | $982M |
| 1963 | $405M | $929M |
| 1962 | $349M | – |
| 1961 | $328M | – |
| 1960 | $313M | – |
| 1959 | $273M | – |
| 1958 | $233M | – |
| 1957 | $217M | – |
- 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
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 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