Egypt, Arab Rep. vs Saudi Arabia
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are the Arab world's most populous and richest nations respectively. Saudi Arabia's economy is roughly three times Egypt's in nominal terms, driven by oil wealth, while Egypt's 105 million population (the largest in the Arab world) dwarfs Saudi Arabia's 35 million. Egypt struggles with high inflation, currency devaluation, and dependence on IMF financing, while Saudi Arabia invests its oil revenue in ambitious economic diversification projects. Egypt is a major recipient of Gulf investment, particularly in real estate, tourism, and the new administrative capital.
Egypt, Arab Rep. has a GDP of $429.64B compared to Saudi Arabia's $1.39T, making it 3.2x smaller. Egypt, Arab Rep.'s population is 118.4M vs Saudi Arabia's 37.0M. Across 12 key indicators, Saudi Arabia leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Egypt, Arab Rep. |  Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $429.64B | $1.39T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $3,904 | $37,811✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 4.2%✓ | 3.1% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $23,321 | $78,815✓ |
| Population | 118.4M✓ | 37.0M |
| Life Expectancy | 71.8 years | 79.0 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 13.2% | 2.3%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 7.4% | 3.5%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 87.0% | 32.1%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 2.7✓ | 2.3 |
| Gini Index | 28.5 | N/A |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 2.5✓ | 18.5 |
Summary
Egypt, Arab Rep. has a GDP of $429.64B compared to Saudi Arabia's $1.39T, making the latter economy 3.2x larger. In terms of population, Egypt, Arab Rep. has 118.4M people while Saudi Arabia has 37.0M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Egypt, Arab Rep. leads in 4 and Saudi Arabia leads in 7.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Egypt, Arab Rep. | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $429.64B2026 | $1.39T2026 |
| World Bank | $365.25B2025 | $1.28T2025 |
| United Nations | $306.91B2024 | $1.25T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Egypt, Arab Rep. spans about 40% across 2 years, wide enough that a rebasing or currency revaluation is likely involved as well; Saudi Arabia spans about 11% across 2 years.
| Source | Egypt, Arab Rep. | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $3,9042026 | $37,8112026 |
| World Bank | $3,0862025 | $34,5372025 |
| United Nations | $2,6342024 | $36,9272024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Egypt, Arab Rep. spans about 48% across 2 years, wide enough that a rebasing or currency revaluation is likely involved as well; Saudi Arabia spans about 9% across 1 year.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
Egypt, Arab Rep.Saudi Arabia