Australia and Saudi Arabia Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

Australia and Saudi Arabia present a striking contrast across various indicators. Saudi Arabia’s population is 1.4 times larger, yet Australia boasts a landmass 3.6 times greater. Economically, Australia’s GDP surpasses Saudi Arabia’s by 1.5 times, while its GDP per capita is about 114% higher. In military spending, Australia spends significantly less, and Saudi Arabia faces more income inequality. Australia’s imports exceed Saudi imports, but the latter constitute a larger share of GDP, while Australia leads in exports, particularly in minerals and agriculture.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Australia	Saudi Arabia	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	26.01 million (54th)	36.41 million (40th)	Saudi Arabia’s population is approximately 1.4 times larger than Australia’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	7.74 million sq. km (6th)	2.15 million sq. km (12th)	Australia is 3.6 times larger than Saudi Arabia.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	1,692.96B USD (12th)	1,108.57B USD (17th)	Australia’s total GDP is approximately 1.53 times larger than Saudi Arabia’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$65,100 (13th)	30,448 USD (37th)	Australia’s GDP per capita is roughly 114% higher than Saudi Arabia’s, with Australians producing about $34,651 more per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Australia	Saudi Arabia	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.946 (10th)	0.875 (40th)	Australia’s HDI is 0.946 (very high), while Saudi Arabia’s is 0.875 (high). Australia’s score is 0.071 higher, indicating significantly better human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	76.2 (12th)	61.9 (64th)	Australia’s Index of Economic Freedom is 23.3% higher than Saudi Arabia’s, 14.3 points more.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	34.3 (2018 est.)	45.9 (2013 est.)	With a 33% higher Gini coefficient, Saudi Arabia has a higher degree of income inequality than Australia.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Saudi Arabia
Total imports	363.57B USD	291.57B
Imports % of GDP	19.71%	23.29%
Main import partners	China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5%	China 22%, UAE 16%, US 6%, India 6%, Germany 4%
Main import items	refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products	cars, broadcasting equipment, garments, gold, refined petroleum
Total exports	447.51B USD	370.97B
Exports % of GDP	25.43%	40.22%
Main export Partners	China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6%	China 19%, India 13%, Japan 10%, South Korea 10%, US 7%
Main export items	coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat	crude petroleum, refined petroleum, ethylene polymers, plastics, fertilizers

Australia’s imports are 24% higher than Saudi Arabia’s, but Saudi imports make up 23% of its GDP, 18% more than Australia’s. Australia’s exports are higher at $447.51B, focusing on minerals and agriculture, while Saudi Arabia’s $370.97B relies heavily on petroleum.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Saudi Arabia
Military expenditure	32.3B USD	75.8B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	1.90%	7.42%
Active military	59k	257k
Active military per 1,000 capita	3.8	7.8

Australia’s military expenditure is approximately 57% lower than Saudi Arabia’s, with a budget of $32.34 billion compared to Saudi Arabia’s $75.81 billion, while Australia allocates a smaller percentage of its GDP (1.90%) to defense compared to Saudi Arabia’s significantly higher 7.42%.