Updated
Overview
Spain has 33% more people than Saudi Arabia: 49.36 million against 36.97 million (2025).
Spain's economy is about 50% larger than Saudi Arabia's, at $1.91T versus $1.28T.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Spain | Saudi Arabia | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $1.91T | $1.28T | 2025 | $1.72T / $1.24T |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $38,627 | $34,537 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 2.8% | Higher: 4.5% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 2.7% | Lower: 2.1% | 2025 | 2.8% / 1.7% |
| Unemployment | 10.4% | Lower: 3.0% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 65 | 47 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | Higher: $3,574 | $1,799 | 2025 / 2022 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | Higher: $1,561 | $1,067 | 2025 / 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | — | $5.06 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 49.36 million | 36.97 million | 2025 | 47.28 million / 36.54 million |
| Population growth | 1.0% | 4.6% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 45.9 yrs | 29.6 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.23 | 2.29 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 83.9 yrs | 79.0 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 81% | 85% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 96% | Higher: 100% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 505,992 km² | 2,149,690 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 97.5/km² | 17.2/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 220 Mt | 692 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 4.6 t | 20.4 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $24.62B | $80.33B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.4% | 7.3% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 199,000 | 282,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Saudi Arabia is growing faster: 4.5% annual GDP growth versus 2.8%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 2.7% in Spain and 2.1% in Saudi Arabia.
Day-to-day prices are noticeably lower in Saudi Arabia: a price level of 47 versus 65 on a US=100 scale.
Average monthly earnings favour Spain: $3,574 against $1,799 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Saudi Arabia is the far younger society: median age 29.6 versus 45.9 years.
Life expectancy is 4.9 years longer in Spain (83.9 vs 79.0).
Geography
By land area, Spain is 76% smaller than Saudi Arabia: 505,992 km² versus 2,149,690 km².
Spain is far more densely settled: 98 people per km² against 17.
Military
Saudi Arabia spends 3.3 times as much on defence as Spain: $80.33B versus $24.62B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Relative to its economy, Saudi Arabia carries the heavier military burden: 7.3% of GDP versus 1.4%.
Saudi Arabia fields the larger armed forces: 282,000 personnel against 199,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Spain bigger than Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia is larger by land area. Spain covers 505,992 km² while Saudi Arabia covers 2,149,690 km², so Saudi Arabia is 4.2 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Spain or Saudi Arabia?
- Spain has the larger population: 49.36 million versus 36.97 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Spain richer than Saudi Arabia?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Spain is richer: $38,627 against $34,537. Total GDP tells the same story: $1.91T for Spain versus $1.28T for Saudi Arabia.
- Who spends more on their military, Spain or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia spends more: $80.33B versus $24.62B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).