Israel vs Saudi Arabia
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Israel and Saudi Arabia lack formal diplomatic relations but share growing economic and security interests. Israel's economy is technology-driven with the highest venture capital investment per capita globally, while Saudi Arabia's is being transformed by Vision 2030's massive spending on diversification projects (NEOM, Red Sea tourism, entertainment). Saudi Arabia's economy is roughly five times Israel's in nominal terms, but Israel's GDP per capita is significantly higher. Both countries are pivoting toward technology and innovation as future growth engines.
Israel has a GDP of $719.85B compared to Saudi Arabia's $1.39T, making it 1.9x smaller. Israel's population is 10.1M vs Saudi Arabia's 37.0M. Across 12 key indicators, Israel leads in 6 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Israel |  Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $719.85B | $1.39T✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $69,804✓ | $37,811 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 3.5%✓ | 3.1% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $59,095 | $78,815✓ |
| Population | 10.1M | 37.0M✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 83.2 years✓ | 79.0 years |
| Inflation (%) | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Unemployment (%) | 3.2%✓ | 3.5% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 69.8% | 32.1%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 2.9✓ | 2.3 |
| Gini Index | 38.3 | N/A |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 5.8✓ | 18.5 |
Summary
Israel has a GDP of $719.85B compared to Saudi Arabia's $1.39T, making the latter economy 1.9x larger. In terms of population, Israel has 10.1M people while Saudi Arabia has 37.0M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Israel leads in 6 and Saudi Arabia leads in 4.
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 | Israel | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $719.85B2026 | $1.39T2026 |
| World Bank | $610.78B2025 | $1.28T2025 |
| United Nations | $542.29B2024 | $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. Israel spans about 33% 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 | Israel | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $69,8042026 | $37,8112026 |
| World Bank | $60,3372025 | $34,5372025 |
| United Nations | $57,7702024 | $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. Israel spans about 21% across 2 years; 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.
IsraelSaudi Arabia