Saudi Arabia
Armed forces, share of workers in Saudi Arabia
Armed forces, share of workers in Saudi Arabia: 4.69% of the labour force in 1990 and 1.92% of the labour force in 2020, by IISS estimates.
- Latest, 2020
- 1.92% of the labour force
- Since 1990
- −2.77 percentage points
- Rank, 2020
- 31 of 168
- counting from the highest
- World, 2020
- 0.79% of the labour force
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- The highest was 5.83% of the labour force in 1991, the lowest 1.78% of the labour force in 2016.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Saudi Arabia | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.92 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1.85 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 1.89 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 1.84 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 1.78 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 1.88 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 2.04 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 2.15 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 2.33 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 2.54 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 2.79 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 2.9 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 2.95 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 3.15 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 3.4 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 3.27 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 3.47 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 3.72 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 3.96 | 1 |
| 2001 | 4.23 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 4.44 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 3.9 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 4.05 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 4.21 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 4.38 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 4.53 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 4.36 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 4.77 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 4.98 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 5.83 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 4.69 | 1.11 |
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, 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 in numbers
Every measure for Saudi Arabia on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per person$2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spending23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel282,000 people in 2020
- National power1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Arms imports3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exports3 million TIV in 2023