As a share of gross domestic product (GDP), Ukraine spent more on its military than any other country in 2023, reaching 37 percent of the country's GDP. The high figure is due to the country being invaded by Russia in February 2022. Algeria and Saudi Arabia followed behind.Leading military spending countriesIn gross terms, the countries with the highest military spending are the United States, China, and Russia. However, these are countries with large populations and GDPs, and smaller countries usually cannot compete alone, regardless of how much they invest. For this reason, they form alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO countries aim to pool two percent of their GDP towards their own militaries and to aid each other in case of war. Regional differencesThe past decade has seen an increase in global military spending. This has not been distributed evenly. That period saw large positive changes in military spending from several Asian countries, including a large increase from China. While this does not reflect the number of active conflicts, it reflects growing tensions in global affairs.

The average for 2022 based on 145 countries was 1.98 percent. The highest value was in Ukraine: 33.55 percent and the lowest value was in Haiti: 0.07 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in United States was reported at 3.3618 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The statistic represents the U.S. defense outlays from 2000 to 2023 with an additional forecast from 2024 to 2034, as a percentage of the gross domestic product. Defense outlays amounted to 746 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, which was about three percent of the U.S. GDP. The forecast predicts an increase in defense outlays up to 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2033, which would be about 2.8 percent of U.S. GDP.

Graph and download economic data for Shares of gross domestic product: Government consumption expenditures and gross investment: Federal: National defense (A824RE1Q156NBEA) from Q1 1947 to Q1 2025 about Shares of GDP, defense, investment, gross, federal, consumption expenditures, consumption, government, GDP, and USA.

The United States led the ranking of the countries with the highest military spending in 2023, with 916 billion U.S. dollars dedicated to the military. That constituted over 40 percent of the total military spending worldwide that year, which amounted to 2.4 trillion U.S. dollars. This amounted to 3.5 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), placing the U.S. lower in the ranking of military expenditure as a percentage of GDP than for instance Saudi Arabia, Israel, Algeria, and Russia. China was the second largest military spender with an estimated 296 billion U.S. dollars spent, with Russia following in third. Defense budgetAccording to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, the outlays for defense will rise to 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2033. The largest parts of the budget are dedicated to the Departments of the Navy and the Air Force. The budget for the U.S. Air Force for 2024 was nearly 260 billion U.S. dollars.Global military spendingThe value of military spending globally has grown steadily in the past years and reached 2.44 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. Reasons for this are the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, the war in Gaza, as well as increasing tensions in the South China Sea. North America is by far the leading region worldwide in terms of expenditure on the military.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in United Kingdom was reported at 2.2649 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Kingdom - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Japan was reported at 1.1961 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Israel was reported at 5.3174 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Israel - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Israel's military expenditure as a share of GDP reached 8.8 percent in 2024, marking a significant increase from previous years. The surge in defense spending reflects the country's response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began in Gaza in October 2023, and expanded to hostilities in Lebanon, Yemen and Iran by 2025. The financial impact of the war was also apparent in the county's national debt figures, which rapidly increased by 20 percent between the third quarter of 2023 and the third quarter of 2024. Escalating defense budget amid conflict Israel's military allocation for 2025 has seen a significant increase, nearly doubling compared to 2022. Still, actual defense spending during the year is expected to exceed the approved 109.8 billion Israeli shekels, approximately 31.6 billion U.S. dollars, reflecting the nation's intensified emphasis on military preparedness amidst escalating geopolitical tensions. The bulk of this budget is earmarked for procurement and purchases, totaling around 55 billion Israeli shekels, equivalent to 15.7 billion U.S. dollars. Record-breaking arms exports As Israel ramped up its military spending, the country's defense industries have also reached new heights. In 2024, the value of arms exported from Israel reach 14.8 billion U.S. dollars, marking the third consecutive annual record. Air defense systems were the most popular product category that year, accounting for nearly half of all defense exports. The industry’s robust performance highlights the growing global demand for arms, and Israeli military hardware in particular.

The average for 2022 based on 9 countries was 1.84 percent. The highest value was in Burma (Myanmar): 3.05 percent and the lowest value was in Indonesia: 0.7 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Syria: Military spending, percent of GDP: The latest value from 2010 is 4.06 percent, an increase from 4.03 percent in 2009. In comparison, the world average is 1.86 percent, based on data from 144 countries. Historically, the average for Syria from 1960 to 2010 is 9.73 percent. The minimum value, 3.55 percent, was reached in 2008 while the maximum of 17.69 percent was recorded in 1984.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Norway was reported at 1.6073 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Norway - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The average for 2022 based on 40 countries was 2.4 percent. The highest value was in Ukraine: 33.55 percent and the lowest value was in Ireland: 0.23 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2020, Poland allocated **** percent of its GDP to financing the armed forces, exceeding the goal recommended by NATO for defense spending for each member state (* percent of GDP). Defense spending is planned to increase gradually to *** percent in 2025.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Hungary was reported at 2.1278 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Hungary - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in China was reported at 1.6653 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Belgium was reported at 1.2146 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Belgium - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The average for 2022 based on 42 countries was 1.49 percent. The highest value was in Togo: 5.44 percent and the lowest value was in Mauritius: 0.17 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Spain was reported at 1.509 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Spain - Military expenditure (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.