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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Saudi Arabia

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Saudi Arabia in 2022 — 257,000 people. Ranked 19 in the world out of 189. Since 1927, the indicator has risen by 6,325%.

2022 257,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 19of 189
Period maximum 257,000 people2021
Period minimum 4,000 people1927

Trend over time

1927–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Saudi Arabia, 1927–20220100,000200,000300,000192719371947195719671977198719972007201720221927: 4,000 people1929: 4,000 people1931: 4,000 people1933: 4,000 people1935: 4,000 people1937: 4,000 people1939: 4,000 people1941: 4,000 people1943: 4,000 people1945: 4,000 people1947: 4,000 people1949: 5,000 people1951: 7,000 people1953: 9,000 people1955: 33,000 people1957: 31,000 people1959: 30,000 people1961: 35,000 people1963: 35,000 people1965: 40,000 people1967: 50,000 people1969: 60,000 people1971: 75,000 people1973: 75,000 people1975: 75,000 people1977: 75,000 people1979: 79,000 people1981: 79,000 people1983: 80,000 people1985: 80,000 people1987: 80,000 people1989: 82,000 people1991: 191,000 people1993: 172,000 people1995: 175,000 people1997: 180,000 people1999: 190,000 people2001: 201,000 people2003: 200,000 people2005: 200,000 people2007: 225,000 people2009: 222,000 people2011: 234,000 people2013: 234,000 people2015: 227,000 people2017: 227,000 people2019: 227,000 people2021: 257,000 people2022: 257,000 people
Change over the period: +253,000 (+6,325%) Average annual rate: 4.48 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia 257,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Middle East & North Africa computed 2.58M people
Western Asia computed 1.65M people
High-income countries computed 5.91M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Saudi Arabia, by year Saudi Arabia All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 257,000 +0 +0%
2021 257,000 +30,000 +13.22%
2020 227,000 +0 +0%
2019 227,000 +0 +0%
2018 227,000 +0 +0%
2017 227,000 +0 +0%
2016 227,000 +0 +0%
2015 227,000 −7,000 −2.99%
2014 234,000 +0 +0%
2013 234,000 +0 +0%
2012 234,000 +0 +0%
2011 234,000 +0 +0%
2010 234,000 +12,000 +5.41%
2009 222,000 −2,000 −0.89%
2008 224,000 −1,000 −0.44%
2007 225,000 +25,000 +12.5%
2006 200,000 +0 +0%
2005 200,000 +0 +0%
2004 200,000 +0 +0%
2003 200,000 +0 +0%
2002 200,000 −1,000 −0.5%
2001 201,000 −1,000 −0.5%
2000 202,000 +12,000 +6.32%
1999 190,000 +0 +0%
1998 190,000 +10,000 +5.56%
1997 180,000 +0 +0%
1996 180,000 +5,000 +2.86%
1995 175,000 +11,000 +6.71%
1994 164,000 −8,000 −4.65%
1993 172,000 +0 +0%
1992 172,000 −19,000 −9.95%
1991 191,000 +45,000 +30.82%
1990 146,000 +64,000 +78.05%
1989 82,000 −2,000 −2.38%
1988 84,000 +4,000 +5%
1987 80,000 +0 +0%
1986 80,000 +0 +0%
1985 80,000 +0 +0%
1984 80,000 +0 +0%
1983 80,000 +0 +0%
1982 80,000 +1,000 +1.27%
1981 79,000 +0 +0%
1980 79,000 +0 +0%
1979 79,000 +4,000 +5.33%
1978 75,000 +0 +0%
1977 75,000 +0 +0%
1976 75,000 +0 +0%
1975 75,000 +0 +0%
1974 75,000 +0 +0%
1973 75,000 +0 +0%
1972 75,000 +0 +0%
1971 75,000 +10,000 +15.38%
1970 65,000 +5,000 +8.33%
1969 60,000 +0 +0%
1968 60,000 +10,000 +20%
1967 50,000 +5,000 +11.11%
1966 45,000 +5,000 +12.5%
1965 40,000 +0 +0%
1964 40,000 +5,000 +14.29%
1963 35,000 −2,000 −5.41%
1962 37,000 +2,000 +5.71%
1961 35,000 +5,000 +16.67%
1960 30,000 +0 +0%
1959 30,000 +0 +0%
1958 30,000 −1,000 −3.23%
1957 31,000 −1,000 −3.13%
1956 32,000 −1,000 −3.03%
1955 33,000 −1,000 −2.94%
1954 34,000 +25,000 +277.78%
1953 9,000 +1,000 +12.5%
1952 8,000 +1,000 +14.29%
1951 7,000 +1,000 +16.67%
1950 6,000 +1,000 +20%
1949 5,000 +1,000 +25%
1948 4,000 +0 +0%
1947 4,000 +0 +0%
1946 4,000 +0 +0%
1945 4,000 +0 +0%
1944 4,000 +0 +0%
1943 4,000 +0 +0%
1942 4,000 +0 +0%
1941 4,000 +0 +0%
1940 4,000 +0 +0%
1939 4,000 +0 +0%
1938 4,000 +0 +0%
1937 4,000 +0 +0%
1936 4,000 +0 +0%
1935 4,000 +0 +0%
1934 4,000 +0 +0%
1933 4,000 +0 +0%
1932 4,000 +0 +0%
1931 4,000 +0 +0%
1930 4,000 +0 +0%
1929 4,000 +0 +0%
1928 4,000 +0 +0%
1927 4,000 — —

Western Asia, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

TR Türkiye 355,000 SA Saudi Arabia 257,000 IQ Iraq 193,000 IL Israel 170,000 SY Syria 169,000 JO Jordan 101,000 AE United Arab Emirates 83,000 AZ Azerbaijan 64,000 LB Lebanon 60,000 AM Armenia 43,000 OM Oman 43,000 YE Yemen 40,000 GE Georgia 21,000 KW Kuwait 18,000 QA Qatar 17,000 CY Cyprus 12,000 BH Bahrain 8,000
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The number of military personnel on active duty. The series was assembled by the Correlates of War project and continued with data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; unlike the World Bank series, which begins in 1985, it reaches 1816 and makes military buildup over two centuries visible — including both world wars.

Important: Over two hundred years borders and the composition of countries changed, so the series before the middle of the 20th century refers to the territory of the time: comparing adjacent years is reliable, comparing 1830 with 2020 only loosely so.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for Saudi Arabia

Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Saudi Arabia by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the population

What share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.

Saudi Arabia by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Saudi Arabia by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Saudi Arabia by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Saudi Arabia by year Defense Arms exports

Transfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).

Saudi Arabia by year
All indicators for Saudi Arabia