Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Qatar
26.9%
in 2022
Saudi Arabia
23.5%
in 2025
Qatar rank
4th
Saudi Arabia rank
6th
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Qatar currently reports 26.9% against 23.5% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 3.4%.
That makes Qatar's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 13 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Qatar ranks 4th and Saudi Arabia ranks 6th of 164 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Qatar averaged higher in 1 and Saudi Arabia in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.6% | 35.4% | 8.9% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 8.4% | 27.3% | 18.9% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 25.9% | 21.0% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 24.4% | 22.7% | 1.7% | Qatar |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?
- Qatar, at 26.9% against 23.5% in Saudi Arabia as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Qatar and Saudi Arabia?
- 3.4%, with Qatar ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Qatar and Saudi Arabia?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2022.
- How do Qatar and Saudi Arabia rank globally for military expenditure?
- Qatar ranks 4th and Saudi Arabia ranks 6th of 164 countries.
- 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