Japan vs Saudi Arabia: Military personnel
Japan
247,000 people
in 2022
Saudi Arabia
257,000 people
in 2022
Japan rank
22nd
Saudi Arabia rank
19th
Military personnel over time
- Japan
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 257,000 people against 247,000 people in Japan, a difference of 10,000 people.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 90 shared years of data; in 1927 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 22nd and Saudi Arabia ranks 19th of 194 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 11 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 285,000 people | 4,000 people | 281,000 people | Japan |
| 1930s | 427,100 people | 4,000 people | 423,100 people | Japan |
| 1940s | 3.43 million people | 4,000 people | 3.43 million people | Japan |
| 1950s | 192,500 people | 25,875 people | 166,625 people | Japan |
| 1960s | 239,000 people | 43,200 people | 195,800 people | Japan |
| 1970s | 236,000 people | 74,400 people | 161,600 people | Japan |
| 1980s | 243,000 people | 80,400 people | 162,600 people | Japan |
| 1990s | 245,200 people | 176,000 people | 69,200 people | Japan |
| 2000s | 240,700 people | 207,400 people | 33,300 people | Japan |
| 2010s | 245,500 people | 230,500 people | 15,000 people | Japan |
| 2020s | 247,000 people | 247,000 people | 0 people | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 257,000 people against 247,000 people in Japan as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Japan and Saudi Arabia?
- 10,000 people, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Saudi Arabia?
- 90 years are reported by both, from 1927 to 2022.
- How do Japan and Saudi Arabia rank globally for military personnel?
- Japan ranks 22nd 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.