Share of each country’s news about armed violence, last 12 months
YemenSaudi Arabia
Yemen vs Saudi Arabia: which is more tense right now?
This week, 29.3% of the news located in Yemen is about armed violence (#1 of 74), against 15.6% in Saudi Arabia (#7). Yemen is the more tense of the two right now.
Yemen29.3%#1 · above its usual level
Saudi Arabia15.6%#7 · far above its usual level
Yemen tenser than Saudi Arabia100%of weeks since 2017
Both most tense13 September 2026week with the highest combined reading
Weekly average since 2017
YemenSaudi Arabia
Year by yearshare of each country’s news about armed violence
| Year | Yemen, average | Saudi Arabia, average | More tense |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21.9% | 10.5% | Yemen |
| 2025 | 22.4% | 4.3% | Yemen |
| 2024 | 27.4% | 4.8% | Yemen |
| 2023 | 16.4% | 4.1% | Yemen |
| 2022 | 16.3% | 6.0% | Yemen |
| 2021 | 22.1% | 8.1% | Yemen |
| 2020 | 19.1% | 7.4% | Yemen |
| 2019 | 19.9% | 10.4% | Yemen |
| 2018 | 23.8% | 10.3% | Yemen |
| 2017 | 24.6% | 8.4% | Yemen |
Frequently asked questions
Is Yemen or Saudi Arabia more tense right now?
Yemen is the more tense this week: 29.3% of its news is about armed violence, against 15.6% for Saudi Arabia.
Which has been more tense since 2017, Yemen or Saudi Arabia?
Yemen was the more tense of the two in 100% of weeks since 2017, Saudi Arabia in the other 0%.
When were Yemen and Saudi Arabia most tense together?
In the week to 13 September 2026: 40.9% for Yemen and 16.7% for Saudi Arabia.
How is this measured?
For each country, Riftrate measures the share of the news located there that is about armed violence (war and terrorism, excluding ordinary crime), over 7 days, from the GDELT event database. It does not depend on the size of the country. It measures the news, not casualties.