Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 23.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Saudi Arabia is 23.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.4% on the previous year and down 27.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Saudi Arabia peaked at 41.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 21.9%, in 2024.
Saudi Arabia ranks 6th of 164 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 35.4% | — |
| 1991 | 35.4% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 27.3% | -23.1% |
| 1993 | 32.8% | +20.5% |
| 1994 | 31.3% | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 28.4% | -9.1% |
| 1996 | 25.3% | -11.2% |
| 1997 | 30.7% | +21.7% |
| 1998 | 41.2% | +34.0% |
| 1999 | 37.4% | -9.2% |
| 2000 | 31.8% | -14.9% |
| 2001 | 30.9% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 27.2% | -12.0% |
| 2003 | 26.2% | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 26.0% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 27.5% | +5.7% |
| 2006 | 28.8% | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 29.0% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 27.6% | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 25.9% | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 25.9% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 22.0% | -15.2% |
| 2012 | 23.1% | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 25.3% | +9.4% |
| 2014 | 26.6% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 32.7% | +23.0% |
| 2016 | 27.7% | -15.0% |
| 2017 | 30.7% | +10.7% |
| 2018 | 25.9% | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 23.1% | -10.8% |
| 2020 | 22.5% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 22.8% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 22.6% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 22.5% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 21.9% | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 23.5% | +7.4% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 23.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 4.9× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 23.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 12.3%, 1.9× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 32.5% | 25.3% | 41.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.1% | 25.9% | 31.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.3% | 22.0% | 32.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.7% | 21.9% | 23.5% | 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 23.5% 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 41.2% in 1998.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.9% in 2024.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for military expenditure?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 6th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.9%. 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 general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure