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Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the population — Saudi Arabia

Armed forces as a share of the population in Saudi Arabia in 2022 — 0.799%. Ranked 19 in the world out of 189. Since 1927, the indicator has risen by 0.591 pp.

2022 0.799% −0.022 pp vs 2021
World rank 19of 189
Period maximum 1.252%1971
Period minimum 0.131%1948

Trend over time

1927–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — Saudi Arabia, 1927–202200.511.5192719371947195719671977198719972007201720221927: 0.208%1929: 0.199%1931: 0.19%1933: 0.182%1935: 0.174%1937: 0.167%1939: 0.159%1941: 0.152%1943: 0.146%1945: 0.14%1947: 0.134%1949: 0.16%1951: 0.214%1953: 0.263%1955: 0.918%1957: 0.823%1959: 0.757%1961: 0.834%1963: 0.781%1965: 0.835%1967: 0.974%1969: 1.087%1971: 1.252%1973: 1.144%1975: 1.034%1977: 0.927%1979: 0.871%1981: 0.777%1983: 0.705%1985: 0.632%1987: 0.588%1989: 0.568%1991: 1.154%1993: 0.991%1995: 0.959%1997: 0.923%1999: 0.909%2001: 0.958%2003: 0.875%2005: 0.81%2007: 0.868%2009: 0.828%2011: 0.843%2013: 0.781%2015: 0.719%2017: 0.737%2019: 0.745%2021: 0.82%2022: 0.799%
Change over the period: +0.591 pp Annual average: 0.01 pp

Comparison, 2022

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

Saudi Arabia 0.799%
World computed 0.259%
Middle East & North Africa computed 0.534%
Western Asia computed 0.569%
High-income countries computed 0.421%
Armed forces as a share of the population — Saudi Arabia, by year Saudi Arabia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.799 −0.022 pp
2021 0.82 +0.088 pp
2020 0.732 −0.012 pp
2019 0.745 −0.003 pp
2018 0.748 +0.01 pp
2017 0.737 +0.034 pp
2016 0.703 −0.016 pp
2015 0.719 −0.041 pp
2014 0.76 −0.021 pp
2013 0.781 −0.046 pp
2012 0.827 −0.016 pp
2011 0.843 −0.016 pp
2010 0.858 +0.03 pp
2009 0.828 −0.021 pp
2008 0.85 −0.019 pp
2007 0.868 +0.08 pp
2006 0.788 −0.022 pp
2005 0.81 −0.029 pp
2004 0.839 −0.036 pp
2003 0.875 −0.041 pp
2002 0.916 −0.042 pp
2001 0.958 +0.023 pp
2000 0.935 +0.026 pp
1999 0.909 −0.032 pp
1998 0.941 +0.018 pp
1997 0.923 −0.032 pp
1996 0.956 −0.003 pp
1995 0.959 +0.035 pp
1994 0.923 −0.068 pp
1993 0.991 −0.023 pp
1992 1.014 −0.141 pp
1991 1.154 +0.173 pp
1990 0.982 +0.414 pp
1989 0.568 −0.031 pp
1988 0.599 +0.012 pp
1987 0.588 −0.012 pp
1986 0.599 −0.033 pp
1985 0.632 −0.035 pp
1984 0.667 −0.037 pp
1983 0.705 −0.04 pp
1982 0.745 −0.033 pp
1981 0.777 −0.045 pp
1980 0.823 −0.048 pp
1979 0.871 −0.005 pp
1978 0.876 −0.051 pp
1977 0.927 −0.053 pp
1976 0.98 −0.054 pp
1975 1.034 −0.055 pp
1974 1.089 −0.055 pp
1973 1.144 −0.054 pp
1972 1.198 −0.054 pp
1971 1.252 +0.12 pp
1970 1.131 +0.045 pp
1969 1.087 −0.041 pp
1968 1.128 +0.154 pp
1967 0.974 +0.067 pp
1966 0.908 +0.073 pp
1965 0.835 −0.029 pp
1964 0.863 +0.082 pp
1963 0.781 −0.072 pp
1962 0.854 +0.02 pp
1961 0.834 +0.097 pp
1960 0.736 −0.021 pp
1959 0.757 −0.02 pp
1958 0.777 −0.046 pp
1957 0.823 −0.047 pp
1956 0.87 −0.049 pp
1955 0.918 −0.05 pp
1954 0.969 +0.706 pp
1953 0.263 +0.024 pp
1952 0.239 +0.025 pp
1951 0.214 +0.027 pp
1950 0.187 +0.028 pp
1949 0.16 +0.029 pp
1948 0.131 −0.003 pp
1947 0.134 −0.003 pp
1946 0.137 −0.003 pp
1945 0.14 −0.003 pp
1944 0.143 −0.003 pp
1943 0.146 −0.003 pp
1942 0.149 −0.003 pp
1941 0.152 −0.003 pp
1940 0.156 −0.003 pp
1939 0.159 −0.004 pp
1938 0.163 −0.004 pp
1937 0.167 −0.004 pp
1936 0.17 −0.004 pp
1935 0.174 −0.004 pp
1934 0.178 −0.004 pp
1933 0.182 −0.004 pp
1932 0.186 −0.004 pp
1931 0.19 −0.004 pp
1930 0.195 −0.004 pp
1929 0.199 −0.004 pp
1928 0.203 −0.005 pp
1927 0.208 —

Western Asia, 2022

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

IL Israel 1.868 AM Armenia 1.493 LB Lebanon 1.045 OM Oman 0.909 CY Cyprus 0.902 JO Jordan 0.897 AE United Arab Emirates 0.81 SA Saudi Arabia 0.799 SY Syria 0.752 AZ Azerbaijan 0.622 QA Qatar 0.588 GE Georgia 0.553 BH Bahrain 0.522 IQ Iraq 0.438 TR Türkiye 0.408 KW Kuwait 0.392 YE Yemen 0.105
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

Military personnel on active duty as a percent of the entire population of the country. The indicator answers the question of how large the armed forces are relative to the size of the country — an army that is large in absolute numbers in a large country can come out smaller by this measure than the small army of a small state.

Important: A close indicator — the share of the labor force — answers a different question: what part of those able to work is occupied in the army instead of the economy. In countries with young populations the two diverge noticeably.

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

Other indicators for Saudi Arabia

Defense Armed forces personnel since 1816

A long historical series on the personnel of armies — since 1816, that is, over two centuries.

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

What part of a country’s labor force serves in the army instead of working in the economy.

Saudi Arabia by year Defense Armed forces personnel

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

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 in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Saudi Arabia by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Saudi Arabia by year
All indicators for Saudi Arabia