Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) vs Saudi Arabia: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
13.9%
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
23.5%
in 2025
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank
6th
Saudi Arabia rank
6th
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 23.5% against 13.9% in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), a difference of 9.6%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.7 times Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 35 years both countries report, Saudi Arabia has been ahead every year.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 6th and Saudi Arabia ranks 6th of 44 groups.
Saudi Arabia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.5% | 32.2% | 17.7% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 12.4% | 28.1% | 15.7% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 12.1% | 26.3% | 14.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 11.8% | 22.7% | 10.9% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 23.5% against 13.9% in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and Saudi Arabia?
- 9.6%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and Saudi Arabia?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and Saudi Arabia rank globally for military expenditure?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 6th and Saudi Arabia ranks 6th of 44 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure