Saudi Arabia vs United States
Saudi Arabia vs United States: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 6.48% of GDP in Saudi Arabia and 3.12% of GDP in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 3.37 percentage points, or 2.08 times that in United States.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher since 1969, when it overtook United States.
- In 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 5 and United States ranked 23 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Saudi Arabia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.48 | 3.12 |
| 2024 | 6.41 | 3.43 |
| 2023 | 6.38 | 3.29 |
| 2022 | 5.72 | 3.3 |
| 2021 | 6.43 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 8.41 | 3.64 |
| 2019 | 7.35 | 3.41 |
| 2018 | 8.42 | 3.3 |
| 2017 | 9.5 | 3.3 |
| 2016 | 9.24 | 3.4 |
| 2015 | 12.57 | 3.46 |
| 2014 | 10.26 | 3.68 |
| 2013 | 8.71 | 4.02 |
| 2012 | 7.51 | 4.46 |
| 2011 | 7.13 | 4.82 |
| 2010 | 8.57 | 4.9 |
| 2009 | 9.62 | 4.88 |
| 2008 | 7.35 | 4.45 |
| 2007 | 8.53 | 4.07 |
| 2006 | 7.85 | 4.04 |
| 2005 | 7.73 | 4.09 |
| 2004 | 8.08 | 4.02 |
| 2003 | 8.69 | 3.83 |
| 2002 | 9.76 | 3.45 |
| 2001 | 11.42 | 3.12 |
| 2000 | 10.53 | 3.11 |
| 1999 | 11.38 | 3.09 |
| 1998 | 14.31 | 3.2 |
| 1997 | 11 | 3.41 |
| 1996 | 8.47 | 3.56 |
| 1995 | 9.28 | 3.86 |
| 1994 | 10.64 | 4.22 |
| 1993 | 12.47 | 4.6 |
| 1992 | 11.28 | 4.97 |
| 1991 | 12.47 | 4.88 |
| 1990 | 14.02 | 5.61 |
| 1989 | 13.39 | 5.87 |
| 1988 | 15.15 | 6.07 |
| 1987 | 16.9 | 6.42 |
| 1986 | – | 6.63 |
| 1985 | 17 | 6.45 |
| 1984 | 19 | 6.24 |
| 1983 | 16.97 | 6.32 |
| 1982 | 17.72 | 6.81 |
| 1981 | 13.27 | 5.65 |
| 1980 | 12.61 | 5.15 |
| 1979 | 15.77 | 4.95 |
| 1978 | 16.74 | 4.94 |
| 1977 | 15.65 | 5.16 |
| 1976 | – | 5.19 |
| 1975 | – | 5.62 |
| 1974 | – | 5.95 |
| 1973 | 10.84 | 5.89 |
| 1972 | 10.08 | 6.52 |
| 1971 | 8.64 | 6.94 |
| 1970 | 9.4 | 8.03 |
| 1969 | 9.57 | 8.63 |
| 1968 | 8.09 | 9.27 |
| 1967 | 11.51 | 9.42 |
| 1966 | 11.32 | 8.44 |
| 1965 | 7.69 | 7.59 |
| 1964 | 5.97 | 8.05 |
| 1963 | 5.9 | 8.83 |
| 1962 | – | 9.33 |
| 1961 | – | 9.16 |
| 1960 | – | 8.99 |
| 1959 | – | 9.44 |
| 1958 | – | 10.07 |
| 1957 | – | 9.99 |
| 1956 | – | 9.9 |
| 1955 | – | 10.16 |
| 1954 | – | 11.74 |
| 1953 | – | 13.58 |
| 1952 | – | 13.86 |
| 1951 | – | 10.17 |
| 1950 | – | 5.08 |
| 1949 | – | 5.27 |
- 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
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 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 importsSaudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSaudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025