Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 6.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
6.5%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
8th
of 167 countries
All-time high
19.0%
in 1984
All-time low
5.7%
in 2022
Years of data
59
1963–2025
Military expenditure in Saudi Arabia, 1963–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Saudi Arabia is 6.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Saudi Arabia peaked at 19.0% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 2022.
Saudi Arabia ranks 8th of 167 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 59 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 5.9% | — |
| 1964 | 6.0% | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 7.7% | +28.9% |
| 1966 | 11.3% | +47.3% |
| 1967 | 11.5% | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 8.1% | -29.7% |
| 1969 | 9.6% | +18.3% |
| 1970 | 9.4% | -1.7% |
| 1971 | 8.6% | -8.1% |
| 1972 | 10.1% | +16.7% |
| 1973 | 10.8% | +7.5% |
| 1977 | 15.6% | +44.4% |
| 1978 | 16.7% | +7.0% |
| 1979 | 15.8% | -5.8% |
| 1980 | 12.6% | -20.0% |
| 1981 | 13.3% | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 17.7% | +33.6% |
| 1983 | 17.0% | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 19.0% | +12.0% |
| 1985 | 17.0% | -10.6% |
| 1987 | 16.9% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 15.2% | -10.3% |
| 1989 | 13.4% | -11.6% |
| 1990 | 14.0% | +4.7% |
| 1991 | 12.5% | -11.1% |
| 1992 | 11.3% | -9.5% |
| 1993 | 12.5% | +10.5% |
| 1994 | 10.6% | -14.6% |
| 1995 | 9.3% | -12.8% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 11.0% | +29.9% |
| 1998 | 14.3% | +30.1% |
| 1999 | 11.4% | -20.5% |
| 2000 | 10.5% | -7.4% |
| 2001 | 11.4% | +8.4% |
| 2002 | 9.8% | -14.5% |
| 2003 | 8.7% | -11.0% |
| 2004 | 8.1% | -7.0% |
| 2005 | 7.7% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 7.8% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | +8.6% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | -13.8% |
| 2009 | 9.6% | +30.8% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | -10.9% |
| 2011 | 7.1% | -16.8% |
| 2012 | 7.5% | +5.4% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | +15.9% |
| 2014 | 10.3% | +17.8% |
| 2015 | 12.6% | +22.5% |
| 2016 | 9.2% | -26.5% |
| 2017 | 9.5% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 8.4% | -11.4% |
| 2019 | 7.4% | -12.6% |
| 2020 | 8.4% | +14.3% |
| 2021 | 6.4% | -23.5% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -11.0% |
| 2023 | 6.4% | +11.5% |
| 2024 | 6.4% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 6.5% | +1.2% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 6.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.1%, 3.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 6.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.6%, 1.8× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.6% | 5.9% | 11.5% | 7 |
| 1970s | 12.4% | 8.6% | 16.7% | 7 |
| 1980s | 15.8% | 12.6% | 19.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 11.5% | 8.5% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.0% | 7.4% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.9% | 7.1% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.6% | 5.7% | 8.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More public sector data for Saudi Arabia
- Arms imports 3.04 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 31.47 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0009 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -14.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 1.11 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 2,276 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0641 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 3.3 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 80.33 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 602.88 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Saudi Arabia?
- Military expenditure in Saudi Arabia was 6.5% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 1984.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 2022.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for military expenditure?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 8th out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product