Qatar vs Saudi Arabia

Every indicator for Qatar and Saudi Arabia side by side, with the percentage gap between them. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Indicator comparison
IndicatorQatarSaudi ArabiaDifference
Population (2025) (people)2,972,21536,973,555−92.0%
GDP (nominal) (billion $)2161,277−83.1%
GDP per capita ($)72,52534,537+110.0%
Life expectancy (years)82.579.0
Area (km²)11,4902,149,690−99.5%
Population density (people/km²)25917+1,404.0%
Median age (years)30.8
Internet usage (%)98.1100.0
Unemployment rate (%)0.13.0
Inflation (%)1.32.1
Urban population (%)99.484.6
Military expenditure (2022 / 2024) (million $)15,41280,331−80.8%
Military expenditure as a share of GDP (%)6.507.30−11.0%
Military expenditure as a share of government spending (%)26.8822.31+20.5%
Military expenditure per capita ($)5,1852,173+138.7%
Armed forces personnel (2020) (people)22,000282,000−92.2%
Armed forces per 1,000 people (people)7.47.6−3.0%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force (%)1.071.92−44.3%

The difference column shows the percentage gap of Qatar relative to Saudi Arabia; a positive value favors Qatar. Interpret it in context — for unemployment, a lower value is better.

Key differences

  • On population (2025), Qatar is 92.0% lower than Saudi Arabia.
  • On gdp (nominal), Qatar is 83.1% lower than Saudi Arabia.
  • On gdp per capita, Qatar is 110.0% higher than Saudi Arabia.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia — core indicators
010 mn20 mn30 mn40 mnPopulation (2025)GDP (nominal)GDP per capitaAreaPopulation (2025) — Qatar: 2.972.215GDP (nominal) — Qatar: 216GDP per capita — Qatar: 72.525Area — Qatar: 11.490Population (2025) — Saudi Arabia: 36.973.555GDP (nominal) — Saudi Arabia: 1.277GDP per capita — Saudi Arabia: 34.537Area — Saudi Arabia: 2.149.690
QatarSaudi Arabia

The indicators use different scales, so the chart is a rough visual comparison only; use the table for exact figures.

Other comparisons involving Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

Data sourcesUN World Population Prospects, IMF, World Bank, SIPRI