Saudi Arabia: Expense (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Saudi Arabia's expense (current LCU) rose 8.4% on 2022 (from 1.02 trillion to 1.11 trillion).

Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2022), the average change was +6.9% and a typical year strayed about 11% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 23.4% in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 12% in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 35.76 billion a year. A straight line explains 73% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Saudi Arabia had the 33rd highest value of the 80 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Saudi Arabia in the 2023 ranking

• Dominican Republic — 29th of 80: 1.22 trillion
• United Kingdom — 30th of 80: 1.13 trillion
• Uruguay — 31st of 80: 1.12 trillion
• Italy — 33rd of 80: 1.01 trillion
• Togo — 34th of 80: 945.35 billion
• Denmark — 35th of 80: 929.46 billion

What this measures

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 14 values

Expense (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 504.16 billion (2017)
• Bahrain — 3.52 billion (2020)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 738.8 billion (2015)
• Israel — 703.2 billion (2023)
• Jordan — 10.31 billion (2023)
• Lebanon — 17.12 trillion (2021)
• Malta — 7.05 billion (2023)
• Morocco — 393.78 billion (2023)
• United Arab Emirates — 72.33 billion (2023)
• West Bank and Gaza — 4.74 billion (2021)

More public sector data for Saudi Arabia

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 3.04 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 83.18 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 311.93 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 6.48% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 23.53% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 282,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.92% (2020)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 80 (2024)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Saudi Arabia's expense (current LCU)?

1.11 trillion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2010?

It is up 128.67% from 484 billion in 2010 (6.57% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.11 trillion in 2023 and the lowest 484 billion in 2010.

How does Saudi Arabia rank?

33rd highest of 80 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in expense (current LCU) unusual for Saudi Arabia?

In 2023, Saudi Arabia's expense (current LCU) rose 8.4% on 2022 (from 1.02 trillion to 1.11 trillion). Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2022), the average change was +6.9% and a typical year strayed about 11% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.