Saudi Arabia vs United States
Saudi Arabia vs United States: National power
National power in 2022: 1.34% of world capability in Saudi Arabia and 12.36% of world capability in United States, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in United States, by 11.02 percentage points, or 9.21 times that in Saudi Arabia.
% of world capability · Correlates of War
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1927.
- In 2022, Saudi Arabia ranked 13 and United States ranked 2 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | Saudi Arabia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.34 | 12.36 |
| 2021 | 1.23 | 12.11 |
| 2020 | 1.25 | 12.44 |
| 2019 | 1.53 | 12.61 |
| 2018 | 1.67 | 11.99 |
| 2017 | 1.61 | 12.16 |
| 2016 | 1.47 | 13.33 |
| 2015 | 1.72 | 13.34 |
| 2014 | 1.65 | 12.97 |
| 2013 | 1.41 | 13.29 |
| 2012 | 1.39 | 13.92 |
| 2011 | 1.28 | 14.31 |
| 2010 | 1.28 | 14.79 |
| 2009 | 1.24 | 14.59 |
| 2008 | 1.19 | 14.78 |
| 2007 | 1.19 | 14.97 |
| 2006 | 1.15 | 15.45 |
| 2005 | 1.12 | 15.66 |
| 2004 | 1.04 | 15.17 |
| 2003 | 1.02 | 15.21 |
| 2002 | 1.06 | 15.37 |
| 2001 | 1.17 | 14.17 |
| 2000 | 1.12 | 14.29 |
| 1999 | 1.08 | 14.27 |
| 1998 | 1.07 | 14.17 |
| 1997 | 0.99 | 13.97 |
| 1996 | 1 | 13.86 |
| 1995 | 0.96 | 14.06 |
| 1994 | 0.93 | 14.59 |
| 1993 | 1.02 | 15.37 |
| 1992 | 0.92 | 14.85 |
| 1991 | 1.29 | 13.73 |
| 1990 | 0.95 | 14.14 |
| 1989 | 0.75 | 14.82 |
| 1988 | 0.67 | 13.45 |
| 1987 | 0.71 | 13.4 |
| 1986 | 0.74 | 13.53 |
| 1985 | 0.74 | 13.73 |
| 1984 | 0.79 | 13.56 |
| 1983 | 0.76 | 13.29 |
| 1982 | 0.88 | 12.96 |
| 1981 | 0.9 | 13.8 |
| 1980 | 0.78 | 13.31 |
| 1979 | 0.7 | 13.72 |
| 1978 | 0.6 | 13.97 |
| 1977 | 0.55 | 14.18 |
| 1976 | 0.51 | 14.25 |
| 1975 | 0.38 | 14.39 |
| 1974 | 0.3 | 15.27 |
| 1973 | 0.28 | 15.88 |
| 1972 | 0.25 | 16.47 |
| 1971 | 0.24 | 17 |
| 1970 | 0.23 | 18.1 |
| 1969 | 0.21 | 19.8 |
| 1968 | 0.21 | 20.34 |
| 1967 | 0.24 | 20.85 |
| 1966 | 0.17 | 20.87 |
| 1965 | 0.17 | 20.15 |
| 1964 | 0.16 | 20.3 |
| 1963 | 0.15 | 20.8 |
| 1962 | 0.16 | 20.99 |
| 1961 | 0.15 | 21.07 |
| 1960 | 0.14 | 21.54 |
| 1959 | 0.13 | 22.9 |
| 1958 | 0.15 | 23.45 |
| 1957 | 0.14 | 25.5 |
| 1956 | 0.16 | 26.06 |
| 1955 | 0.17 | 26.64 |
| 1954 | 0.18 | 28.09 |
| 1953 | 0.14 | 31.12 |
| 1952 | 0.13 | 31.14 |
| 1951 | 0.12 | 31.95 |
| 1950 | 0.14 | 28.44 |
| 1949 | 0.13 | 27.32 |
| 1948 | 0.11 | 29.47 |
| 1947 | 0.18 | 30.99 |
| 1946 | 0.18 | 36.4 |
| 1945 | 0.09 | 38.39 |
| 1944 | 0.07 | 35.06 |
| 1943 | 0.06 | 34.56 |
| 1942 | 0.06 | 28.55 |
| 1941 | 0.06 | 24.45 |
| 1940 | 0.06 | 20.19 |
| 1939 | 0.06 | 18.2 |
| 1938 | 0.05 | 17.08 |
| 1937 | 0.05 | 20.09 |
| 1936 | 0.05 | 20.6 |
| 1935 | 0.05 | 19.32 |
| 1934 | 0.05 | 19.74 |
| 1933 | 0.04 | 20.51 |
| 1932 | 0.05 | 19.72 |
| 1931 | 0.04 | 21.6 |
| 1930 | 0.04 | 22.81 |
| 1929 | 0.04 | 23.98 |
| 1928 | 0.04 | 24.01 |
| 1927 | 0.04 | 23.86 |
| 1926 | – | 26.33 |
| 1925 | – | 25.4 |
| 1924 | – | 25.36 |
| 1923 | – | 27.21 |
| 1922 | – | 25.56 |
| 1921 | – | 25.32 |
| 1920 | – | 28.96 |
| 1919 | – | 38.13 |
| 1918 | – | 29.49 |
| 1917 | – | 24.4 |
| 1916 | – | 23.29 |
| 1915 | – | 22.21 |
| 1914 | – | 20.64 |
| 1913 | – | 21.99 |
| 1912 | – | 22.48 |
| 1911 | – | 21.62 |
| 1910 | – | 22.65 |
| 1909 | – | 22.52 |
| 1908 | – | 20.32 |
| 1907 | – | 22.77 |
| 1906 | – | 21.83 |
| 1905 | – | 21.38 |
| 1904 | – | 20.49 |
| 1903 | – | 21.05 |
| 1902 | – | 20.77 |
| 1901 | – | 20.26 |
| 1900 | – | 18.8 |
| 1899 | – | 18.55 |
| 1898 | – | 19.71 |
| 1897 | – | 16.91 |
| 1896 | – | 16 |
| 1895 | – | 16.81 |
| 1894 | – | 15.44 |
| 1893 | – | 16.57 |
| 1892 | – | 17.33 |
| 1891 | – | 16.56 |
| 1890 | – | 16.54 |
| 1889 | – | 15.48 |
| 1888 | – | 15.23 |
| 1887 | – | 15.11 |
| 1886 | – | 14.61 |
| 1885 | – | 13.13 |
| 1884 | – | 13.14 |
| 1883 | – | 13.13 |
| 1882 | – | 13.1 |
| 1881 | – | 12.64 |
| 1880 | – | 12.55 |
| 1879 | – | 12.03 |
| 1878 | – | 10.83 |
| 1877 | – | 10.47 |
| 1876 | – | 10.19 |
| 1875 | – | 10.7 |
| 1874 | – | 11.42 |
| 1873 | – | 11.63 |
| 1872 | – | 11.53 |
| 1871 | – | 9.84 |
| 1870 | – | 9.9 |
| 1869 | – | 10.8 |
| 1868 | – | 10.66 |
| 1867 | – | 11.41 |
| 1866 | – | 9.82 |
| 1865 | – | 13.55 |
| 1864 | – | 19.29 |
| 1863 | – | 17.9 |
| 1862 | – | 17.64 |
| 1861 | – | 14.44 |
| 1860 | – | 7.74 |
| 1859 | – | 8.31 |
| 1858 | – | 8.34 |
| 1857 | – | 8.33 |
| 1856 | – | 7.84 |
| 1855 | – | 7.6 |
| 1854 | – | 7.42 |
| 1853 | – | 7.87 |
| 1852 | – | 7.19 |
| 1851 | – | 6.77 |
| 1850 | – | 7.25 |
| 1849 | – | 7.31 |
| 1848 | – | 8.72 |
| 1847 | – | 8.45 |
| 1846 | – | 8.28 |
| 1845 | – | 6.17 |
| 1844 | – | 5.73 |
| 1843 | – | 5.11 |
| 1842 | – | 4.93 |
| 1841 | – | 5.09 |
| 1840 | – | 4.96 |
| 1839 | – | 5.08 |
| 1838 | – | 5.33 |
| 1837 | – | 5.35 |
| 1836 | – | 5.1 |
| 1835 | – | 4.85 |
| 1834 | – | 4.78 |
| 1833 | – | 4.81 |
| 1832 | – | 4.45 |
| 1831 | – | 4.2 |
| 1830 | – | 3.85 |
| 1829 | – | 3.75 |
| 1828 | – | 3.57 |
| 1827 | – | 3.57 |
| 1826 | – | 3.64 |
| 1825 | – | 3.42 |
| 1824 | – | 3.3 |
| 1823 | – | 3.31 |
| 1822 | – | 3.29 |
| 1821 | – | 3.42 |
| 1820 | – | 3.71 |
| 1819 | – | 3.71 |
| 1818 | – | 3.61 |
| 1817 | – | 3.58 |
| 1816 | – | 3.97 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
- Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, 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 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
- 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