Qatar vs Saudi Arabia
Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars: $16.1B in Qatar in 2022 and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by $57.7B, or 4.59 times that in Qatar.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1980.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Qatar | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | $81.5B |
| 2024 | – | $80.3B |
| 2023 | – | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $16.1B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $12.7B | $67.4B |
| 2020 | – | $71B |
| 2019 | – | $74.3B |
| 2018 | – | $83.8B |
| 2017 | – | $81B |
| 2016 | – | $72.6B |
| 2015 | – | $102B |
| 2014 | – | $95.2B |
| 2013 | – | $80.7B |
| 2012 | – | $70.5B |
| 2011 | – | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $2.37B | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $2.4B | $59B |
| 2008 | $2.71B | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $2.1B | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $1.63B | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $1.52B | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $1.44B | $36.9B |
| 2003 | $1.56B | $33.3B |
| 2002 | $1.55B | $33B |
| 2001 | – | $37.6B |
| 2000 | – | $35.3B |
| 1999 | – | $32.1B |
| 1998 | – | $36B |
| 1997 | – | $31.2B |
| 1996 | – | $23B |
| 1995 | – | $23B |
| 1994 | – | $26.1B |
| 1993 | – | $30.2B |
| 1992 | – | $28.5B |
| 1991 | $2.32B | $30.4B |
| 1990 | $2.14B | $31.8B |
| 1989 | $2.37B | $25.3B |
| 1988 | $2.83B | $26.8B |
| 1987 | $2.61B | $29.3B |
| 1985 | $4.77B | $32.9B |
| 1984 | $2.78B | $39.9B |
| 1983 | $2.91B | $37.1B |
| 1982 | $4.85B | $45.7B |
| 1981 | $3.7B | $41B |
| 1980 | $2.35B | $35.2B |
| 1979 | – | $31.5B |
| 1978 | – | $24.5B |
| 1977 | – | $21.6B |
| 1973 | – | $7.36B |
| 1972 | – | $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
Qatar vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyQatar: 82.4 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityQatar: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityQatar: 4.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionQatar: 3.48% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateQatar: 4.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationQatar: 2.98 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthQatar: 2.24% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateQatar: 1.73 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationQatar: 99.4% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageQatar: 33.2 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overQatar: 1.6% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateQatar: 13.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingQatar: 6.5% of GDP in 2022Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personQatar: $5,428 in 2022Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingQatar: 26.9% of government spending in 2022Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelQatar: 22,000 people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerQatar: 0.18% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersQatar: 1.07% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsQatar: 1.05 billion TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsQatar: 2 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023