Europe & Central Asia vs Saudi Arabia: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Europe & Central Asia
2.8%
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
6.5%
in 2025
Europe & Central Asia rank
9th
Saudi Arabia rank
8th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Europe & Central Asia
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 6.5% against 2.8% in Europe & Central Asia, a difference of 3.7%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 2.3 times Europe & Central Asia's.
Across all 59 years both countries report, Saudi Arabia has been ahead every year.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 9th and Saudi Arabia ranks 8th of 45 groups.
Saudi Arabia has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Europe & Central Asia | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.9% | 8.6% | 4.6% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 3.1% | 12.4% | 9.3% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 3.0% | 15.8% | 12.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 11.5% | 9.3% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 9.0% | 7.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 8.9% | 7.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 6.6% | 4.5% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Europe & Central Asia or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 6.5% against 2.8% in Europe & Central Asia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Europe & Central Asia and Saudi Arabia?
- 3.7%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia and Saudi Arabia?
- 59 years are reported by both, from 1963 to 2025.
- How do Europe & Central Asia and Saudi Arabia rank globally for military expenditure?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 9th and Saudi Arabia ranks 8th of 45 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product