Saudi Arabia vs United Kingdom: Military spending
Saudi Arabia
88.35 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2023
United Kingdom
84.21 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2023
Saudi Arabia rank
5th
United Kingdom rank
6th
Military spending over time
- Saudi Arabia
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 88.35 billion constant 2022 US$ against 84.21 billion constant 2022 US$ in United Kingdom, a difference of 4.14 billion constant 2022 US$.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 92 shared years of data; in 1932 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 6th of 172 countries.
Across the 10 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 121.42 million constant 2022 US$ | 28.14 billion constant 2022 US$ | 28.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 206.98 million constant 2022 US$ | 148.55 billion constant 2022 US$ | 148.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 635.05 million constant 2022 US$ | 38.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | 37.86 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 1.31 billion constant 2022 US$ | 40.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 38.94 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 18.69 billion constant 2022 US$ | 44.38 billion constant 2022 US$ | 25.68 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 43.69 billion constant 2022 US$ | 64.47 billion constant 2022 US$ | 20.78 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 32.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | 62.86 billion constant 2022 US$ | 30.11 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 37.59 billion constant 2022 US$ | 71.04 billion constant 2022 US$ | 33.45 billion constant 2022 US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 78.03 billion constant 2022 US$ | 69.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | 8.80 billion constant 2022 US$ | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 83.93 billion constant 2022 US$ | 79.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, Saudi Arabia or United Kingdom?
- Saudi Arabia, at 88.35 billion constant 2022 US$ against 84.21 billion constant 2022 US$ in United Kingdom as of 2023.
- What is the difference in military spending between Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom?
- 4.14 billion constant 2022 US$, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom?
- 92 years are reported by both, from 1932 to 2023.
- How do Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom rank globally for military spending?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 6th of 172 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.