Eritrea vs Saudi Arabia: Military personnel
Eritrea
302,000 people
in 2022
Saudi Arabia
257,000 people
in 2022
Eritrea rank
18th
Saudi Arabia rank
19th
Military personnel over time
- Eritrea
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Eritrea currently reports 302,000 people against 257,000 people in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 45,000 people.
That makes Eritrea's figure about 1.2 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 30 shared years of data; in 1993 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Eritrea ranks 18th and Saudi Arabia ranks 19th of 194 countries.
Saudi Arabia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Eritrea | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 81,429 people | 178,714 people | 97,286 people | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 195,800 people | 207,400 people | 11,600 people | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 202,000 people | 230,500 people | 28,500 people | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 235,333 people | 247,000 people | 11,667 people | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Eritrea or Saudi Arabia?
- Eritrea, at 302,000 people against 257,000 people in Saudi Arabia as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Eritrea and Saudi Arabia?
- 45,000 people, with Eritrea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Eritrea and Saudi Arabia?
- 30 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
- How do Eritrea and Saudi Arabia rank globally for military personnel?
- Eritrea ranks 18th and Saudi Arabia ranks 19th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.