The United States spends $916 billion per year on defense — more than the next ten countries combined.
How to Play: Guess if the country on the right spends MORE or LESS on its military than the one on the left.
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Top 10 Countries by Military Spending
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is the gold standard for global military spending data. Their 2024 figures show US spending at $916B, China at $296B, with the rest of the world stretched across a long tail.
| # | Name | Annual Spending (USD billions) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 916 | USD billions |
| 2 | China | 296 | USD billions |
| 3 | Russia | 109 | USD billions |
| 4 | India | 83 | USD billions |
| 5 | Saudi Arabia | 75 | USD billions |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 74 | USD billions |
| 7 | Germany | 67 | USD billions |
| 8 | Ukraine | 65 | USD billions |
| 9 | France | 61 | USD billions |
| 10 | Japan | 50 | USD billions |
How Military Spending Is Compared
SIPRI uses ‘military expenditure’ which includes personnel, R&D, procurement, operations, and maintenance — but excludes paramilitary forces, secret budgets, and pension liabilities not directly drawn from defense funds. Some countries (China, Russia) are believed to underreport; SIPRI publishes both reported and adjusted figures.
The US share of global military spending is approximately 38%. American defense spending has hovered around 3-3.5% of GDP for decades — a higher percentage than most developed countries (NATO target is 2%). On a per-capita basis, the US spends about $2,700 per person annually on defense.
Ukraine’s military spending exploded after Russia’s 2022 invasion. From a peacetime baseline of $5-6 billion, it rose to $65 billion in 2023 — partly funded by foreign aid, partly by domestic emergency mobilization. As a percentage of GDP, Ukraine now spends the world’s highest share, around 37%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country spends most on its military?
The United States, at $916 billion per year (2023 SIPRI data) — about 38% of all global military spending.
Does NATO's 2% rule mean GDP percentage?
Yes. NATO members agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. As of 2024, about 18 of 32 members meet the target; before 2022 only a handful did.
How does military spending compare to GDP?
US 3.4% of GDP. China about 1.7%. Russia rose to over 6% in 2024. NATO target is 2% minimum.
What's included in military spending?
Personnel salaries, weapons procurement, R&D, operations and maintenance, training. Excluded: paramilitary, intelligence agencies, veteran pensions paid from non-defense sources.
Note: Spending figures from SIPRI’s 2024 yearbook in USD billions. China and Russia totals contain methodology disputes; SIPRI’s harmonized figures used.
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