Russia vs Saudi Arabia
Russia vs Saudi Arabia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 19.8% of government spending in Russia and 23.5% of government spending in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 3.7 percentage points, or 1.19 times that in Russia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1998.
- In 2025, Russia ranked 7 and Saudi Arabia ranked 3 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Russia | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19.8 | 23.5 |
| 2024 | 18.6 | 21.9 |
| 2023 | 14.8 | 22.6 |
| 2022 | 13 | 22.7 |
| 2021 | 10.3 | 22.8 |
| 2020 | 10.6 | 22.5 |
| 2019 | 11.4 | 23.2 |
| 2018 | 11.4 | 25.9 |
| 2017 | 12.2 | 30.7 |
| 2016 | 14.8 | 27.8 |
| 2015 | 13.8 | 32.7 |
| 2014 | 11.8 | 26.6 |
| 2013 | 11.1 | 25.3 |
| 2012 | 10.8 | 23.1 |
| 2011 | 10.3 | 22 |
| 2010 | 10.1 | 26 |
| 2009 | 10.2 | 26 |
| 2008 | 9.9 | 27.6 |
| 2007 | 9.8 | 29 |
| 2006 | 11.2 | 28.8 |
| 2005 | 11.3 | 27.5 |
| 2004 | 11.2 | 26 |
| 2003 | 11.3 | 26.2 |
| 2002 | 11.1 | 27.2 |
| 2001 | 11.3 | 30.9 |
| 2000 | 10.8 | 31.8 |
| 1999 | 9 | 37.4 |
| 1998 | 6.9 | 41.2 |
| 1997 | – | 30.7 |
| 1996 | – | 25.3 |
| 1995 | – | 28.5 |
| 1994 | – | 31.3 |
| 1993 | – | 32.8 |
| 1992 | – | 27.3 |
| 1991 | – | 35.4 |
| 1990 | – | 35.4 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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
Russia vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyRussia: 73.2 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRussia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRussia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRussia: 3.71% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateRussia: 25.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRussia: 145 million people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthRussia: -0.32% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRussia: 1.45 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRussia: 75.3% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageRussia: 39.5 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRussia: 16.6% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateRussia: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRussia: 7.5% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRussia: $158B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personRussia: $1,318 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelRussia: 1.45 million people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerRussia: 3.82% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRussia: 1.98% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRussia: 129 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsRussia: 1.94 billion TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023