Israel vs Saudi Arabia
Israel vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $43.7B in Israel and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $37.8B, or 1.87 times that in Israel.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher since 1977, when it overtook Israel.
- In 2025, Israel ranked 13 and Saudi Arabia ranked 7 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Israel | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $43.7B | $81.5B |
| 2024 | $45.9B | $80.3B |
| 2023 | $27.7B | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $22.2B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $23.1B | $67.4B |
| 2020 | $22.3B | $71B |
| 2019 | $21.6B | $74.3B |
| 2018 | $21.3B | $83.8B |
| 2017 | $21.1B | $81B |
| 2016 | $19.9B | $72.6B |
| 2015 | $19.3B | $102B |
| 2014 | $18.9B | $95.2B |
| 2013 | $17.6B | $80.7B |
| 2012 | $17B | $70.5B |
| 2011 | $16.6B | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $16.9B | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $16.9B | $59B |
| 2008 | $17.2B | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $16.9B | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $15.2B | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $14.9B | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $14.7B | $36.9B |
| 2003 | $14.1B | $33.3B |
| 2002 | $14.4B | $33B |
| 2001 | $14.3B | $37.6B |
| 2000 | $13.7B | $35.3B |
| 1999 | $12.9B | $32.1B |
| 1998 | $13.2B | $36B |
| 1997 | $13.4B | $31.2B |
| 1996 | $13.4B | $23B |
| 1995 | $13.1B | $23B |
| 1994 | $14.4B | $26.1B |
| 1993 | $15.1B | $30.2B |
| 1992 | $13.7B | $28.5B |
| 1991 | $18.2B | $30.4B |
| 1990 | $13.4B | $31.8B |
| 1989 | $12.7B | $25.3B |
| 1988 | $16.1B | $26.8B |
| 1987 | $15.9B | $29.3B |
| 1986 | $13B | – |
| 1985 | $14B | $32.9B |
| 1984 | $14.8B | $39.9B |
| 1983 | $13.6B | $37.1B |
| 1982 | $15.3B | $45.7B |
| 1981 | $16.5B | $41B |
| 1980 | $14.1B | $35.2B |
| 1979 | $13.3B | $31.5B |
| 1978 | $14.9B | $24.5B |
| 1977 | $13.7B | $21.6B |
| 1976 | $16.1B | – |
| 1975 | $17.4B | – |
| 1974 | $15.7B | – |
| 1973 | $15.3B | $7.36B |
| 1972 | $10.4B | $5.7B |
| 1971 | $10.3B | $4.06B |
| 1970 | $9.5B | $3.42B |
| 1969 | $6.98B | $3.12B |
| 1968 | $5.66B | $2.55B |
| 1967 | $4.47B | $2.57B |
| 1966 | $2.74B | $2.34B |
| 1965 | $2.47B | $1.41B |
| 1964 | $2.36B | $982M |
| 1963 | $2.31B | $929M |
| 1962 | $1.94B | – |
| 1961 | $1.51B | – |
| 1960 | $1.27B | – |
| 1959 | $1.17B | – |
| 1958 | $1.1B | – |
| 1957 | $1.17B | – |
| 1956 | $1.33B | – |
| 1955 | $687M | – |
| 1954 | $494M | – |
| 1953 | $404M | – |
| 1952 | $425M | – |
- 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
Israel vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyIsrael: 82.4 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIsrael: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIsrael: 2.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIsrael: 3.83% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateIsrael: 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIsrael: 9.26 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthIsrael: 1.42% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIsrael: 2.83 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIsrael: 91.6% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageIsrael: 29.2 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIsrael: 12.4% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateIsrael: 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIsrael: 7.81% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personIsrael: $5,108 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIsrael: 17.8% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIsrael: 178,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerIsrael: 0.38% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIsrael: 4.23% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIsrael: 537 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIsrael: 2.62 billion TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023