Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia
Kuwait vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $7.92B in Kuwait and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $73.6B, or 10 times that in Kuwait.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1972.
- In 2025, Kuwait ranked 34 and Saudi Arabia ranked 7 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Kuwait | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7.92B | $81.5B |
| 2024 | $7.8B | $80.3B |
| 2023 | $8B | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $8.78B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $9.82B | $67.4B |
| 2020 | $7.97B | $71B |
| 2019 | $8.56B | $74.3B |
| 2018 | $8.36B | $83.8B |
| 2017 | $7.97B | $81B |
| 2016 | $7.73B | $72.6B |
| 2015 | $7.06B | $102B |
| 2014 | $7.01B | $95.2B |
| 2013 | $7.03B | $80.7B |
| 2012 | $7.43B | $70.5B |
| 2011 | $6.86B | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $6.01B | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $6.12B | $59B |
| 2008 | $6.29B | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $6.84B | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $6.44B | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $6.51B | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $6.73B | $36.9B |
| 2003 | $6.25B | $33.3B |
| 2002 | $5.8B | $33B |
| 2001 | $5.62B | $37.6B |
| 2000 | $5.72B | $35.3B |
| 1999 | $4.9B | $32.1B |
| 1998 | $5.04B | $36B |
| 1997 | $5.4B | $31.2B |
| 1996 | $7.09B | $23B |
| 1995 | $8.34B | $23B |
| 1994 | $7.6B | $26.1B |
| 1993 | $7.17B | $30.2B |
| 1992 | $14.8B | $28.5B |
| 1991 | $29.2B | $30.4B |
| 1990 | $22.4B | $31.8B |
| 1989 | $5.81B | $25.3B |
| 1988 | $4.68B | $26.8B |
| 1987 | $3.72B | $29.3B |
| 1986 | $3.79B | – |
| 1985 | $4.21B | $32.9B |
| 1984 | $4.47B | $39.9B |
| 1983 | $4.33B | $37.1B |
| 1982 | $4.04B | $45.7B |
| 1981 | $3.42B | $41B |
| 1980 | $3.25B | $35.2B |
| 1979 | $3.29B | $31.5B |
| 1978 | $2.94B | $24.5B |
| 1977 | $3.37B | $21.6B |
| 1974 | $2.22B | – |
| 1973 | $901M | $7.36B |
| 1972 | $719M | $5.7B |
| 1971 | – | $4.06B |
| 1970 | – | $3.42B |
| 1969 | – | $3.12B |
| 1968 | – | $2.55B |
| 1967 | – | $2.57B |
| 1966 | – | $2.34B |
| 1965 | – | $1.41B |
| 1964 | – | $982M |
| 1963 | – | $929M |
- 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
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 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
- Armed forces, share of workersKuwait: 1.03% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- 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