France vs Saudi Arabia: Armed forces personnel
France
304,000
in 2020
Saudi Arabia
282,000
in 2020
France rank
23rd
Saudi Arabia rank
25th
Armed forces personnel over time
- France
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
France currently reports 304,000 against 282,000 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 22,000.
That makes France's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.
Across all 33 years both countries report, France has been ahead every year.
France ranks 23rd and Saudi Arabia ranks 25th of 173 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 509,150 | 72,250 | 436,900 | France |
| 1990s | 495,660 | 173,500 | 322,160 | France |
| 2000s | 360,497 | 225,920 | 134,577 | France |
| 2010s | 315,882 | 250,900 | 64,982 | France |
| 2020s | 304,000 | 282,000 | 22,000 | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, France or Saudi Arabia?
- France, at 304,000 against 282,000 in Saudi Arabia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between France and Saudi Arabia?
- 22,000, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Saudi Arabia?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do France and Saudi Arabia rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- France ranks 23rd and Saudi Arabia ranks 25th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.