Japan vs Saudi Arabia: Armed forces personnel, total
Japan
261,000
in 2020
Saudi Arabia
282,000
in 2020
Japan rank
27th
Saudi Arabia rank
25th
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- Japan
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 282,000 against 261,000 in Japan, a difference of 21,000.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 27th and Saudi Arabia ranks 25th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 4 and Saudi Arabia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 245,000 | 72,250 | 172,750 | Japan |
| 1990s | 247,280 | 173,500 | 73,780 | Japan |
| 2000s | 252,438 | 225,920 | 26,518 | Japan |
| 2010s | 260,371 | 250,900 | 9,471 | Japan |
| 2020s | 261,000 | 282,000 | 21,000 | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 282,000 against 261,000 in Japan as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Japan and Saudi Arabia?
- 21,000, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Saudi Arabia?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Japan and Saudi Arabia rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- Japan ranks 27th and Saudi Arabia ranks 25th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.