Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia
Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1.03% of the labour force in Kuwait and 1.92% of the labour force in Saudi Arabia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 0.89 percentage points, or 1.86 times that in Kuwait.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Kuwait ranked 64 and Saudi Arabia ranked 31 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Kuwait | Saudi Arabia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.03 | 1.92 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.97 | 1.85 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.98 | 1.89 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 1.04 | 1.84 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.99 | 1.78 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 1.04 | 1.88 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 1.1 | 2.04 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 1.16 | 2.15 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 1.23 | 2.33 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 1.34 | 2.54 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 1.45 | 2.79 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 1.55 | 2.9 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 1.67 | 2.95 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 1.78 | 3.15 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 1.89 | 3.4 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 2.01 | 3.27 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 1.93 | 3.47 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 2.12 | 3.72 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 2.22 | 3.96 | 1 |
| 2001 | 2.16 | 4.23 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 2.23 | 4.44 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 2.33 | 3.9 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 2.42 | 4.05 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 2.51 | 4.21 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 2.67 | 4.38 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 2.87 | 4.53 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 2.05 | 4.36 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 1.7 | 4.77 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 1.77 | 4.98 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 1.78 | 5.83 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 1 | 4.69 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyKuwait: 80.4 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKuwait: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKuwait: 7.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKuwait: 3.64% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateKuwait: 2.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKuwait: 4.84 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthKuwait: 1.88% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKuwait: 1.53 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKuwait: 100% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageKuwait: 34.5 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKuwait: 3% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateKuwait: 10.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingKuwait: 4.69% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsKuwait: $7.92B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personKuwait: $1,623 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKuwait: 10.1% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelKuwait: 25,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerKuwait: 0.2% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsKuwait: 311 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsKuwait: 95 million TIV in 1998Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023