Updated
Overview
Yemen has 13% more people than Saudi Arabia: 41.77 million against 36.97 million (2025).
Saudi Arabia's economy is 59 times the size of Yemen's, at $1.28T versus $21.61B.
Per person, Saudi Arabia is the wealthier of the two: $34,537 against $634 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Yemen | Saudi Arabia | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | $21.61B | Higher: $1.28T | 2018 / 2025 | — / $1.24T |
| GDP per capita | $634 | Higher: $34,537 | 2018 / 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 0.8% | Higher: 4.5% | 2018 / 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 8.1% | Lower: 2.1% | 2014 / 2025 | — / 1.7% |
| Unemployment | 17.3% | Lower: 3.0% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | — | 47 | — / 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | — | $1,799 | — / 2022 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | — | $1,067 | — / 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | — | $5.06 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 41.77 million | 36.97 million | 2025 | 34.51 million / 36.54 million |
| Population growth | 2.9% | 4.6% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 18.4 yrs | 29.6 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 4.41 | 2.29 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | 69.4 yrs | Higher: 79.0 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 37% | 85% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 17% | Higher: 100% | 2019 / 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 527,968 km² | 2,149,690 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 79.1/km² | 17.2/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 10 Mt | 692 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 0.2 t | 20.4 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $1.71B | $80.33B | 2014 / 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 4.0% | 7.3% | 2014 / 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 40,000 | 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 much faster: 4.5% annual GDP growth versus 0.8%.
Yemen runs the hotter price environment: 8.1% inflation versus 2.1%.
People and society
Yemen is the far younger society: median age 18.4 versus 29.6 years.
Life expectancy is 9.5 years longer in Saudi Arabia (79.0 vs 69.4).
Saudi Arabia is considerably more urbanized: 85% of people live in cities, against 37%.
Internet adoption is higher in Saudi Arabia (100% vs 17% of the population).
Geography
By land area, Yemen is 75% smaller than Saudi Arabia: 527,968 km² versus 2,149,690 km².
The two share a land border, which shapes their trade, migration, and security relationship.
Yemen is far more densely settled: 79 people per km² against 17.
Military
Saudi Arabia spends 47 times as much on defence as Yemen: $80.33B versus $1.71B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Relative to its economy, Saudi Arabia carries the heavier military burden: 7.3% of GDP versus 4.0%.
Saudi Arabia fields the larger armed forces: 282,000 personnel against 40,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Yemen bigger than Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia is larger by land area. Yemen covers 527,968 km² while Saudi Arabia covers 2,149,690 km², so Saudi Arabia is 4.1 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Yemen or Saudi Arabia?
- Yemen has the larger population: 41.77 million versus 36.97 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Yemen richer than Saudi Arabia?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Saudi Arabia is richer: $34,537 against $634. Total GDP tells the same story: $21.61B for Yemen versus $1.28T for Saudi Arabia.
- Who spends more on their military, Yemen or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia spends more: $80.33B versus $1.71B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).