Saudi Arabia vs United States
Saudi Arabia vs United States: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $81.5B in Saudi Arabia and $929B in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $848B, or 11 times that in Saudi Arabia.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1963.
- In 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 7 and United States ranked 1 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Saudi Arabia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $81.5B | $929B |
| 2024 | $80.3B | $1.01T |
| 2023 | $79.1B | $943B |
| 2022 | $73.8B | $923B |
| 2021 | $67.4B | $933B |
| 2020 | $71B | $943B |
| 2019 | $74.3B | $901B |
| 2018 | $83.8B | $853B |
| 2017 | $81B | $828B |
| 2016 | $72.6B | $836B |
| 2015 | $102B | $839B |
| 2014 | $95.2B | $858B |
| 2013 | $80.7B | $915B |
| 2012 | $70.5B | $991B |
| 2011 | $62.3B | $1.05T |
| 2010 | $61.4B | $1.06T |
| 2009 | $59B | $1.03T |
| 2008 | $57.4B | $957B |
| 2007 | $58.5B | $892B |
| 2006 | $50.8B | $869B |
| 2005 | $44.6B | $857B |
| 2004 | $36.9B | $819B |
| 2003 | $33.3B | $751B |
| 2002 | $33B | $660B |
| 2001 | $37.6B | $588B |
| 2000 | $35.3B | $583B |
| 1999 | $32.1B | $561B |
| 1998 | $36B | $560B |
| 1997 | $31.2B | $573B |
| 1996 | $23B | $576B |
| 1995 | $23B | $609B |
| 1994 | $26.1B | $652B |
| 1993 | $30.2B | $688B |
| 1992 | $28.5B | $727B |
| 1991 | $30.4B | $690B |
| 1990 | $31.8B | $781B |
| 1989 | $25.3B | $815B |
| 1988 | $26.8B | $821B |
| 1987 | $29.3B | $839B |
| 1986 | – | $846B |
| 1985 | $32.9B | $793B |
| 1984 | $39.9B | $740B |
| 1983 | $37.1B | $704B |
| 1982 | $45.7B | $721B |
| 1981 | $41B | $609B |
| 1980 | $35.2B | $547B |
| 1979 | $31.5B | $548B |
| 1978 | $24.5B | $545B |
| 1977 | $21.6B | $542B |
| 1976 | – | $522B |
| 1975 | – | $537B |
| 1974 | – | $568B |
| 1973 | $7.36B | $575B |
| 1972 | $5.7B | $605B |
| 1971 | $4.06B | $606B |
| 1970 | $3.42B | $674B |
| 1969 | $3.12B | $727B |
| 1968 | $2.55B | $761B |
| 1967 | $2.57B | $737B |
| 1966 | $2.34B | $642B |
| 1965 | $1.41B | $543B |
| 1964 | $982M | $540B |
| 1963 | $929M | $559B |
| 1962 | – | $567B |
| 1961 | – | $523B |
| 1960 | – | $502B |
| 1959 | – | $515B |
| 1958 | – | $511B |
| 1957 | – | $514B |
| 1956 | – | $500B |
| 1955 | – | $493B |
| 1954 | – | $521B |
| 1953 | – | $604B |
| 1952 | – | $587B |
| 1951 | – | $416B |
| 1950 | – | $195B |
| 1949 | – | $181B |
- 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
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 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