Russia vs Saudi Arabia
Russia vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 7.5% of GDP in Russia and 6.48% of GDP in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Russia, by 1.02 percentage points, or 1.16 times that in Saudi Arabia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Russia has been higher since 2024, when it overtook Saudi Arabia.
- In 2025, Russia ranked 4 and Saudi Arabia ranked 5 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Russia | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.5 | 6.48 |
| 2024 | 6.87 | 6.41 |
| 2023 | 5.27 | 6.38 |
| 2022 | 4.56 | 5.72 |
| 2021 | 3.6 | 6.43 |
| 2020 | 4.15 | 8.41 |
| 2019 | 3.85 | 7.35 |
| 2018 | 3.72 | 8.42 |
| 2017 | 4.25 | 9.5 |
| 2016 | 5.43 | 9.24 |
| 2015 | 4.87 | 12.57 |
| 2014 | 4.11 | 10.26 |
| 2013 | 3.85 | 8.71 |
| 2012 | 3.69 | 7.51 |
| 2011 | 3.43 | 7.13 |
| 2010 | 3.59 | 8.57 |
| 2009 | 3.92 | 9.62 |
| 2008 | 3.15 | 7.35 |
| 2007 | 3.12 | 8.53 |
| 2006 | 3.25 | 7.85 |
| 2005 | 3.33 | 7.73 |
| 2004 | 3.3 | 8.08 |
| 2003 | 3.67 | 8.69 |
| 2002 | 3.76 | 9.76 |
| 2001 | 3.55 | 11.42 |
| 2000 | 3.31 | 10.53 |
| 1999 | 3.07 | 11.38 |
| 1998 | 2.73 | 14.31 |
| 1997 | 4.04 | 11 |
| 1996 | 3.76 | 8.47 |
| 1995 | 3.78 | 9.28 |
| 1994 | 4.52 | 10.64 |
| 1993 | 4.18 | 12.47 |
| 1992 | 4.43 | 11.28 |
| 1991 | – | 12.47 |
| 1990 | – | 14.02 |
| 1989 | – | 13.39 |
| 1988 | – | 15.15 |
| 1987 | – | 16.9 |
| 1985 | – | 17 |
| 1984 | – | 19 |
| 1983 | – | 16.97 |
| 1982 | – | 17.72 |
| 1981 | – | 13.27 |
| 1980 | – | 12.61 |
| 1979 | – | 15.77 |
| 1978 | – | 16.74 |
| 1977 | – | 15.65 |
| 1973 | – | 10.84 |
| 1972 | – | 10.08 |
| 1971 | – | 8.64 |
| 1970 | – | 9.4 |
| 1969 | – | 9.57 |
| 1968 | – | 8.09 |
| 1967 | – | 11.51 |
| 1966 | – | 11.32 |
| 1965 | – | 7.69 |
| 1964 | – | 5.97 |
| 1963 | – | 5.9 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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
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 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
- Military share of state spendingRussia: 19.8% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending 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