Saudi Arabia vs United States
Saudi Arabia vs United States: Arms imports
Arms imports in 2025: 3.04 billion TIV in Saudi Arabia and 745 million TIV in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 2.3 billion TIV, or 4.08 times that in United States.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher since 2013, when it overtook United States.
- In 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 1 and United States ranked 13 of 110 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | Saudi Arabia | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.04 billion | 745 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2024 | 1.24 billion | 1.05 billion | 30.6 billion |
| 2023 | 1.33 billion | 891 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | 3.05 billion | 846 million | 33 billion |
| 2021 | 1.75 billion | 922 million | 26.8 billion |
| 2020 | 2.24 billion | 806 million | 23.4 billion |
| 2019 | 3.03 billion | 882 million | 26.9 billion |
| 2018 | 2.94 billion | 379 million | 27.3 billion |
| 2017 | 3.85 billion | 504 million | 31.2 billion |
| 2016 | 2.91 billion | 447 million | 31.4 billion |
| 2015 | 3.47 billion | 482 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 2.72 billion | 568 million | 27 billion |
| 2013 | 1.69 billion | 767 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | 835 million | 1.14 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 1.18 billion | 937 million | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 1.11 billion | 969 million | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | 828 million | 939 million | 24 billion |
| 2008 | 389 million | 936 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 229 million | 842 million | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 207 million | 706 million | 24.4 billion |
| 2005 | 166 million | 582 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2004 | 1.16 billion | 596 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 158 million | 630 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 559 million | 515 million | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | 59 million | 508 million | 18.3 billion |
| 2000 | 104 million | 333 million | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 1.58 billion | 220 million | 25.3 billion |
| 1998 | 2.89 billion | 262 million | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 2.79 billion | 610 million | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 1.73 billion | 601 million | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 985 million | 809 million | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 981 million | 951 million | 22.8 billion |
| 1993 | 2.35 billion | 968 million | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 1.15 billion | 540 million | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 1.04 billion | 515 million | 27.8 billion |
| 1990 | 2.04 billion | 363 million | 28.6 billion |
| 1989 | 1.38 billion | 1.78 billion | 31.7 billion |
| 1988 | 784 million | 1.79 billion | 32.9 billion |
| 1987 | 2.01 billion | 2 billion | 36.2 billion |
| 1986 | 2.84 billion | 424 million | 35.5 billion |
| 1985 | 1.31 billion | 655 million | 33.2 billion |
| 1984 | 824 million | 381 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1983 | 1.82 billion | 463 million | 39.1 billion |
| 1982 | 2.22 billion | 248 million | 41.4 billion |
| 1981 | 1.82 billion | 531 million | 42 billion |
| 1980 | 1.09 billion | 380 million | 37.4 billion |
| 1979 | 767 million | 253 million | 33.3 billion |
| 1978 | 1.01 billion | 369 million | 39.2 billion |
| 1977 | 1.02 billion | 384 million | 37 billion |
| 1976 | 702 million | 499 million | 33 billion |
| 1975 | 372 million | 388 million | 34.2 billion |
| 1974 | 547 million | 586 million | 32.9 billion |
| 1973 | 202 million | 656 million | 32.6 billion |
| 1972 | 130 million | 769 million | 28.7 billion |
| 1971 | 10 million | 578 million | 29.3 billion |
| 1970 | 87 million | 38 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1969 | 416 million | 50 million | 24.7 billion |
| 1968 | 448 million | 62 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1967 | 222 million | 88 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1966 | 227 million | 89 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1965 | 48 million | 170 million | 23.1 billion |
| 1964 | 5 million | 358 million | 24.2 billion |
| 1963 | – | 283 million | 18.1 billion |
| 1962 | 22 million | 236 million | 15.5 billion |
| 1961 | 8 million | 198 million | 15 billion |
| 1960 | 6 million | 181 million | 15.7 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, 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
Saudi Arabia vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySaudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySaudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySaudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSaudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSaudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSaudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSaudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSaudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSaudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSaudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSaudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSaudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSaudi Arabia: $25,070 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSaudi Arabia: 4.6% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSaudi Arabia: 2% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSaudi Arabia: 31.8% of GDP in 2025United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSaudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSaudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSaudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSaudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSaudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSaudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSaudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms exportsSaudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025