Land Area
Saudi Arabia
2,149,690 km²
Largest
Israel
22,072 km²
1.0% of largest
Saudi Arabia is 97.39× larger than Israel
Population
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
35.95M
PEOPLE
Israel
25.8% OF LARGEST
9.29M
PEOPLE
Saudi Arabia has 3.87× the population of Israel
GDP
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
$833.5B
Israel
57.8% OF LARGEST
$481.59B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
227K
TROOPS
Israel
74.7% OF LARGEST
169.5K
TROOPS
Saudi Arabia has 1.34× the active personnel of Israel
Air Force
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
897
AIRCRAFT
Israel
67.0% OF LARGEST
601
AIRCRAFT
Saudi Arabia has 1.49× the aircraft of Israel
Naval Assets
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
323.1
Metric Tonnes
Israel
0.0% OF LARGEST
0.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
$437B
Reserves · excl. gold
Israel
49.2% OF LARGEST
$215B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Israel
MOST
32
billionaires
Saudi Arabia
47% OF MOST
15
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Saudi Arabia
LARGEST
267
Billion barrels
Israel
0.0% OF LARGEST
0.0
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Israel
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
0.3M b/d
−0.2M b/d net
Saudi Arabia
NET EXPORTER
Production
11.0M b/d
Consumption
3.8M b/d
+7.2M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Israel
$153.7B
Exports
$153.7B
Imports
$140.6B
Trade Balance
+$13.1B
Trade Surplus
Saudi Arabia
$360.9B
Exports
$360.9B
Imports
$317.0B
Trade Balance
+$43.9B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Israel
consumption
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Israel
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Israel
consumption
Saudi Arabia
supply
Wine
litres / person / yr
Israel
consumption
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Israel
consumption
Saudi Arabia
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Israel
4
Gold
6
Silver
10
Bronze
20
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 20
❄ Winter: 0
Saudi Arabia
0
Gold
2
Silver
2
Bronze
4
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 4
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Saudi Arabia
31.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Israel
30.4
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Saudi Arabia is 1.4 years older (median) than Israel
Youth Population
Saudi Arabia has the highest youth population at 52.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Israel has the highest elderly population at 13.4% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Israel
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
169
|
91
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
4.6M
|
27.4M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
13
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
0
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Israel
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $20 | $7 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $85 | $35 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,600 | $700 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $1,300 | $450 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $180 | $100 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $55 | $55 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $95 | $40 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Israel | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9291000 | 35950000 |
| Area (sq km) | 22072 | 2149690 |
| Capital | Jerusalem (disputed) | Riyadh |
| Official Language | Hebrew, Arabic | Arabic |
| Currency | Israeli New Shekel (ILS) | Saudi Riyal (SAR) |
| Government Type | Parliamentary democracy | Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Israel | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 169,500 | 227,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 465,000 | 0 |
| Total Military Personnel | 634,500 | 227,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $24,340,000,000 | $67,600,000,000 |
| Tanks | 1,650 | 1,062 |
| Armored Vehicles | 8,000 | 5,472 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 650 | 224 |
| Towed Artillery | 300 | 260 |
| Rocket Projectors | 150 | 322 |
Economy
| Metric | Israel | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $481,590,000,000 | $833,500,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $51,430 | $23,140 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.3% | 5.9% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 39.0 | 45.9 |
| Currency | Israeli New Shekel (ILS) | Saudi Riyal (SAR) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Israel Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.7952 Weaker |
| Saudi Arabia Currency | 1.2575 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | ILS | SAR |
| 1 USD equals | 2.9821 ILS Updated: 2026-06-27 | 3.7500 SAR Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Saudi Arabia is 97.4 times larger in area than Israel.
That's a massive difference!
Saudi Arabia has 3.9 times more people than Israel.
Israel has the highest GDP per capita at $51,430 among the selected countries.
Saudi Arabia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$833.5 billion.
Saudi Arabia has the largest active military personnel with 227,000 troops.
Saudi Arabia has the largest air force with 897 aircraft.
Israel has the largest navy with 65 vessels.
Israel vs Saudi Arabia: Key Comparisons
Economy: Saudi Arabia's GDP of $834B is 1.7x larger than Israel's $482B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Saudi Arabia's population of 36M is 3.9x larger than Israel's 9M.
Area: Saudi Arabia covers 2,149,690 km², making it 97.4x larger than Israel.
Military: Saudi Arabia fields 230Thousand active troops vs Israel's 170Thousand.
Trade: Israel runs a trade surplus of $13B while Saudi Arabia runs a trade surplus of $44B.
Life Expectancy: Israel leads with a life expectancy of 83 years vs Saudi Arabia's 76.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology