Japan vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending
Japan
59.49 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
Saudi Arabia
81.47 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
Japan rank
10th
Saudi Arabia rank
7th
Military spending over time
- Japan
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 81.47 billion constant 2024 US$ against 59.49 billion constant 2024 US$ in Japan, a difference of 21.98 billion constant 2024 US$.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.4 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 59 shared years of data; in 1963 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 10th and Saudi Arabia ranks 7th of 162 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and Saudi Arabia in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.68 billion constant 2024 US$ | 1.98 billion constant 2024 US$ | 7.70 billion constant 2024 US$ | Japan |
| 1970s | 17.26 billion constant 2024 US$ | 14.03 billion constant 2024 US$ | 3.23 billion constant 2024 US$ | Japan |
| 1980s | 26.05 billion constant 2024 US$ | 34.80 billion constant 2024 US$ | 8.75 billion constant 2024 US$ | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 35.03 billion constant 2024 US$ | 29.22 billion constant 2024 US$ | 5.81 billion constant 2024 US$ | Japan |
| 2000s | 36.40 billion constant 2024 US$ | 44.65 billion constant 2024 US$ | 8.25 billion constant 2024 US$ | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 37.11 billion constant 2024 US$ | 78.31 billion constant 2024 US$ | 41.19 billion constant 2024 US$ | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 46.83 billion constant 2024 US$ | 75.50 billion constant 2024 US$ | 28.67 billion constant 2024 US$ | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, Japan or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 81.47 billion constant 2024 US$ against 59.49 billion constant 2024 US$ in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending between Japan and Saudi Arabia?
- 21.98 billion constant 2024 US$, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Saudi Arabia?
- 59 years are reported by both, from 1963 to 2025.
- How do Japan and Saudi Arabia rank globally for military spending?
- Japan ranks 10th and Saudi Arabia ranks 7th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – 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.