Nigeria vs Saudi Arabia
Nigeria vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $1.76B in Nigeria and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $79.7B, or 46 times that in Nigeria.
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, Nigeria ranked 66 and Saudi Arabia ranked 7 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Nigeria | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.76B | $81.5B |
| 2024 | $1.14B | $80.3B |
| 2023 | $1.78B | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $1.48B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $2.38B | $67.4B |
| 2020 | $1.52B | $71B |
| 2019 | $1.18B | $74.3B |
| 2018 | $1.29B | $83.8B |
| 2017 | $1.09B | $81B |
| 2016 | $1.14B | $72.6B |
| 2015 | $1.18B | $102B |
| 2014 | $1.21B | $95.2B |
| 2013 | $1.33B | $80.7B |
| 2012 | $1.39B | $70.5B |
| 2011 | $1.58B | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $1.41B | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $1.21B | $59B |
| 2008 | $1.16B | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $825M | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $711M | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $682M | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $772M | $36.9B |
| 2003 | $793M | $33.3B |
| 2002 | $1.29B | $33B |
| 2001 | $853M | $37.6B |
| 2000 | $599M | $35.3B |
| 1999 | $776M | $32.1B |
| 1998 | $458M | $36B |
| 1997 | $359M | $31.2B |
| 1996 | $334M | $23B |
| 1995 | $394M | $23B |
| 1994 | $342M | $26.1B |
| 1993 | $487M | $30.2B |
| 1992 | $360M | $28.5B |
| 1991 | $419M | $30.4B |
| 1990 | $437M | $31.8B |
| 1989 | $264M | $25.3B |
| 1988 | $389M | $26.8B |
| 1987 | $396M | $29.3B |
| 1986 | $494M | – |
| 1985 | $561M | $32.9B |
| 1984 | $574M | $39.9B |
| 1983 | $859M | $37.1B |
| 1982 | $998M | $45.7B |
| 1981 | $1.28B | $41B |
| 1980 | $1.93B | $35.2B |
| 1979 | $2.38B | $31.5B |
| 1978 | $2.75B | $24.5B |
| 1977 | $3.53B | $21.6B |
| 1976 | $3.33B | – |
| 1975 | $4.66B | – |
| 1974 | $2.85B | – |
| 1973 | $2.53B | $7.36B |
| 1972 | $2.36B | $5.7B |
| 1971 | $1.87B | $4.06B |
| 1970 | $2.26B | $3.42B |
| 1969 | $2.65B | $3.12B |
| 1968 | $1.58B | $2.55B |
| 1967 | $1.02B | $2.57B |
| 1966 | $228M | $2.34B |
| 1965 | $296M | $1.41B |
| 1964 | $254M | $982M |
| 1963 | $214M | $929M |
| 1962 | $177M | – |
| 1961 | $136M | – |
| 1960 | $120M | – |
- 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
Nigeria vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNigeria: 223,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023