Oman vs Saudi Arabia
Oman vs Saudi Arabia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 47,000 people in Oman and 282,000 people in Saudi Arabia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 235,000 people, or 6 times that in Oman.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Oman | Saudi Arabia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 47,000 | 282,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 47,000 | 252,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 46,600 | 252,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 47,000 | 252,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 47,000 | 251,500 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 47,000 | 251,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 47,000 | 251,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 47,000 | 251,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 47,000 | 249,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 47,000 | 249,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 47,000 | 249,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 47,000 | 249,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 47,000 | 238,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 47,000 | 238,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 47,000 | 240,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 46,000 | 216,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 45,000 | 214,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 46,100 | 215,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 46,100 | 215,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 47,800 | 217,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 47,900 | 217,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 47,900 | 178,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 47,900 | 178,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 47,900 | 178,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 47,900 | 178,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 47,900 | 177,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 35,000 | 164,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 35,000 | 172,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 35,000 | 172,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 29,000 | 191,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 32,000 | 146,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 29,000 | 82,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 29,200 | 62,500 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 25,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1983 | 20,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1982 | 15,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1981 | 15,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1980 | 15,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1979 | 13,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1978 | 12,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1977 | 12,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1976 | 12,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1975 | 12,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1974 | 10,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1973 | 8,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1972 | 4,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 4,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1970 | – | 65,000 | – |
| 1969 | – | 60,000 | – |
| 1968 | – | 60,000 | – |
| 1967 | – | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | – | 45,000 | – |
| 1965 | – | 40,000 | – |
| 1964 | – | 40,000 | – |
| 1963 | – | 35,000 | – |
| 1962 | – | 37,000 | – |
| 1961 | – | 35,000 | – |
| 1960 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1959 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1958 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1957 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1956 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1955 | – | 33,000 | – |
| 1954 | – | 34,000 | – |
| 1953 | – | 9,000 | – |
| 1952 | – | 8,000 | – |
| 1951 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1950 | – | 6,000 | – |
| 1949 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1948 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1946 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1945 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1944 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1943 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1942 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1941 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1940 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1939 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1938 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1937 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1936 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1935 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1934 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1933 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1932 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1931 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1930 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1929 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1928 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1927 | – | 4,000 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 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
Oman vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyOman: 80 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityOman: 1 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityOman: 8.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionOman: 3.43% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateOman: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationOman: 5.05 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthOman: 4.59% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateOman: 2.53 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationOman: 79.5% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageOman: 29.3 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overOman: 2.7% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateOman: 31 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingOman: 5.68% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsOman: $5.94B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personOman: $1,109 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingOman: 20% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- National powerOman: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersOman: 2.12% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsOman: 4 million TIV in 2023Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsOman: 7 million TIV in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023