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Military spending as a share of government spending in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Military spending as a share of government spending was 23.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
23.5%
Change on year
up 7.4%
World rank
6th
of 162 countries
All-time high
41.2%
in 1998
All-time low
21.9%
in 2024
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Military spending as a share of government spending in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2025

0102030401990200720251990: 35.4 % of government spending1991: 35.4 % of government spending1992: 27.3 % of government spending1993: 32.8 % of government spending1994: 31.3 % of government spending1995: 28.4 % of government spending1996: 25.3 % of government spending1997: 30.7 % of government spending1998: 41.2 % of government spending1999: 37.4 % of government spending2000: 31.8 % of government spending2001: 30.9 % of government spending2002: 27.2 % of government spending2003: 26.2 % of government spending2004: 26 % of government spending2005: 27.5 % of government spending2006: 28.8 % of government spending2007: 29 % of government spending2008: 27.6 % of government spending2009: 25.9 % of government spending2010: 25.9 % of government spending2011: 22 % of government spending2012: 23.1 % of government spending2013: 25.3 % of government spending2014: 26.6 % of government spending2015: 32.7 % of government spending2016: 27.7 % of government spending2017: 30.7 % of government spending2018: 25.9 % of government spending2019: 23.1 % of government spending2020: 22.5 % of government spending2021: 22.8 % of government spending2022: 22.6 % of government spending2023: 22.5 % of government spending2024: 21.9 % of government spending2025: 23.5 % of government spending

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government spending.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia recorded 23.5% for military spending as a share of government spending in 2025.

That represents a change of up 7.4% on the previous year and down 27.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending as a share of government spending in Saudi Arabia peaked at 41.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 21.9%, in 2024.

That places Saudi Arabia 6th out of 162 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Military spending as a share of government spending in Saudi Arabia, year by year

Year % of government spending Change
1990 35.4% —
1991 35.4% +0.0%
1992 27.3% -23.1%
1993 32.8% +20.5%
1994 31.3% -4.7%
1995 28.4% -9.1%
1996 25.3% -11.2%
1997 30.7% +21.7%
1998 41.2% +34.0%
1999 37.4% -9.2%
2000 31.8% -14.9%
2001 30.9% -2.8%
2002 27.2% -12.0%
2003 26.2% -3.6%
2004 26.0% -0.9%
2005 27.5% +5.7%
2006 28.8% +4.8%
2007 29.0% +0.6%
2008 27.6% -4.8%
2009 25.9% -5.9%
2010 25.9% +0.0%
2011 22.0% -15.2%
2012 23.1% +4.9%
2013 25.3% +9.4%
2014 26.6% +5.1%
2015 32.7% +23.0%
2016 27.7% -15.0%
2017 30.7% +10.7%
2018 25.9% -15.5%
2019 23.1% -10.8%
2020 22.5% -2.8%
2021 22.8% +1.4%
2022 22.6% -0.7%
2023 22.5% -0.4%
2024 21.9% -2.8%
2025 23.5% +7.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 32.5% 25.3% 41.2% 10
2000s 28.1% 25.9% 31.8% 10
2010s 26.3% 22.0% 32.7% 10
2020s 22.7% 21.9% 23.5% 6

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 3 Myanmar 32.0% compare
  2. 4 Qatar 26.9% compare
  3. 5 Algeria 24.6% compare
  4. 7 Somalia 20.8% compare
  5. 8 Oman 20.0% compare
  6. 9 Armenia 19.9% compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending as a share of government spending in Saudi Arabia?
Military spending as a share of government spending in Saudi Arabia was 23.5% in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending as a share of government spending recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 41.2% in 1998.
What is the lowest military spending as a share of government spending recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 21.9% in 2024.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for military spending as a share of government spending?
Saudi Arabia ranks 6th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
Is military spending as a share of government spending rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Military spending as a share of government spending in Saudi Arabia. Statizoid, drawing on Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-expenditure-as-a-share-of-government-spending/saudi-arabia/

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About this data

Indicator
Military spending as a share of government spending
Unit
% of government spending
Source
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 4,946 data points, 1988–2025
Last refreshed

Total military expenditure divided by government spending.