Which has higher armed forces personnel, Saudi Arabia or Ukraine?

Ukraine, at 298,000 against 282,000 in Saudi Arabia as of 2020.

How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Ukraine?

29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.

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.

Saudi Arabia vs Ukraine: Armed forces personnel

Saudi Arabia

282,000

in 2020

Ukraine

298,000

in 2020

Saudi Arabia rank

25th

Ukraine rank

24th

Armed forces personnel over time

Saudi Arabia
Ukraine

How they compare

Ukraine currently reports 298,000 against 282,000 in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 16,000.

That makes Ukraine's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1992 it was Ukraine ahead.

Saudi Arabia ranks 25th and Ukraine ranks 24th of 173 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 1 and Ukraine in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Saudi Arabia	Ukraine	Difference	Ahead
1990s	174,750	434,512	259,762	Ukraine
2000s	225,920	306,182	80,262	Ukraine
2010s	250,900	242,302	8,598	Saudi Arabia
2020s	282,000	298,000	16,000	Ukraine

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, Saudi Arabia or Ukraine?: Ukraine, at 298,000 against 282,000 in Saudi Arabia as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine?: 16,000, with Ukraine ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Ukraine?: 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
How do Saudi Arabia and Ukraine rank globally for armed forces personnel?: Saudi Arabia ranks 25th and Ukraine ranks 24th 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.

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Saudi Arabia vs Ukraine: Armed forces personnel. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel/saudi-arabia/ukraine/

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About this data

Indicator: Armed forces personnel
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

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.