United States US: Military Expenditure: % of GDP data was reported at 3.149 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.222 % for 2016. United States US: Military Expenditure: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 4.864 % from Sep 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.063 % in 1967 and a record low of 2.908 % in 1999. United States US: Military Expenditure: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Defense and Official Development Assistance. Military expenditures data from SIPRI are derived from the NATO definition, which includes all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agencies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, if these are judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions of military personnel and social services for personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the donor country). Excluded are civil defense and current expenditures for previous military activities, such as for veterans' benefits, demobilization, conversion, and destruction of weapons. This definition cannot be applied for all countries, however, since that would require much more detailed information than is available about what is included in military budgets and off-budget military expenditure items. (For example, military budgets might or might not cover civil defense, reserves and auxiliary forces, police and paramilitary forces, dual-purpose forces such as military and civilian police, military grants in kind, pensions for military personnel, and social security contributions paid by one part of government to another.); ; Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security.; Weighted average; Data for some countries are based on partial or uncertain data or rough estimates.

Historical chart and dataset showing Germany military spending/defense budget by year from 1960 to 2023.

Government spending in the United States was last recorded at 39.7 percent of GDP in 2024 . This dataset provides - United States Government Spending To Gdp- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Analysis of ‘US Military Spending by Year (1960 - 2020)’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://www.kaggle.com/brandonconrady/us-military-spending-by-year-1960-2020 on 28 January 2022.

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Content

Lists the military spending, GDP, and population estimate for the US each year from 1960 to 2020.

Acknowledgements

Banner image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/BQgAYwERXhs

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In 2023, the military spending worldwide amounted to 2.44 trillion U.S. dollars, which was the highest during the period under consideration. Comparatively, global military spending was at 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2001, and at 1.7 trillion U.S. dollars in 2010, past the peak of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Russia-Ukraine War The Russia-Ukraine War has been a major driver of more recent military spending increases. From 2021 to 2022, the ratio of Ukraine’s military spending to their GDP increased substantially from 3.8 percent to 33.5 percent. By comparison, this ratio increased in Russia from 3.6 percent in 2021 to only 4 percent in 2022. As a result, large amounts of bilateral aid have gone towards Ukraine. While EU institutions have contributed the most in total, the United States has contributed the most military aid towards Ukraine. Spending by nation Globally, the United States had the largest amount of military spending by large in 2023. The United States spent nearly 916 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 towards defense, compared to 296 billion U.S. dollars and 109 billion U.S. dollars spent by China and Russia respectively. As a percentage of GDP, Ukraine spent the most globally, contributing nearly 37 percent of their GDP to defense, followed by Algeria at 8.2 percent and Saudi Arabia at 7.1 percent.

Content

Lists the military spending, GDP, and population estimate for the US each year from 1960 to 2020.

Acknowledgements

Banner image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/BQgAYwERXhs

This dataset provides values for MILITARY EXPENDITURE PERCENT OF GDP WB DATA.HTML reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The dataset comprises the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) member countries’ military expenditure (ME) and related economic indicators, 1991-2020. lnME is logarithms of the Quad member countries’ ME. lnSpillover1 is the product of the Quad member countries’ ME divided by its own ME. lnSpillover2 is logarithms of the sum of the Quad member countries’ ME minus its own ME. lnGDP is the Quad member countries’ GDP. And lnChineseME is logarithms of Chinese ME. lnME_fd is the first difference value of lnME. lnSpillover1_fd is the first difference value of lnSpillover1. lnSpillover2_fd is the first difference value of lnSpillover2. lnGDP_fd is the first difference value of ln lnGDP. And lnChineseME_fd is the first difference value of lnChineseME. IV_1_1 is the 2 periods lagged lnSpillover1_fd. IV_1_2 is logarithms of the first difference value of the product of the Quad member countries’ GDP divided by its own GDP. IV_2_1 is the 2 periods lagged lnSpillover2_fd. IV_2_2 is logarithms of the first difference value of the sum of the Quad member countries’ GDP minus its own GDP. Data on the Quad member countries’ ME (in current US dollars) from 1991–2020 were obtained from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2022), and data on their GDP (in current US dollars) during the same period were obtained from World Bank (2022). Further, Chinese ME (in current US dollars) from 1991–2020 were obtained from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2022). The data were converted to constant US dollars using the US GDP deflator taken from World Bank (2022). Data source Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2022. “SIPRI Military Expenditure Database.” https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex. World Bank. 2022. “World Development Indicators.” https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators.

The dataset comprises the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies’ armed force personnel as a share of total labor force (%), total labor force, military expenditure as a share of GDP (%), and GDP (current US dollar) during 1991–2019.

The sample countries are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States (1991–2019); the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland (1999–2019); Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia (2004–2019), Albania and Croatia (2009–2019), and Montenegro (2017–2019).

The original data sources are:

NATO allies’ military expenditure as a share of GDP (%): Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2022. SIPRI Extended Military Expenditure Database. https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex

NATO allies’ armed force personnel as a share of total labor force (%), total labor force, and GDP (current US dollar): World Bank. 2022. World Development Indicators. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

United States US: GERD: % of GDP data was reported at 3.586 % in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.483 % for 2021. United States US: GERD: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 2.612 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2022, with 42 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.586 % in 2022 and a record low of 2.268 % in 1981. United States US: GERD: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.OECD.MSTI: Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research and Development: OECD Member: Annual.

For the United States, from 2021 onwards, changes to the US BERD survey questionnaire allowed for more exhaustive identification of acquisition costs for ‘identifiable intangible assets’ used for R&D. This has resulted in a substantial increase in reported R&D capital expenditure within BERD. In the business sector, the funds from the rest of the world previously included in the business-financed BERD, are available separately from 2008. From 2006 onwards, GOVERD includes state government intramural performance (most of which being financed by the federal government and state government own funds). From 2016 onwards, PNPERD data are based on a new R&D performer survey. In the higher education sector all fields of SSH are included from 2003 onwards.

Following a survey of federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) in 2005, it was concluded that FFRDC R&D belongs in the government sector - rather than the sector of the FFRDC administrator, as had been reported in the past. R&D expenditures by FFRDCs were reclassified from the other three R&D performing sectors to the Government sector; previously published data were revised accordingly. Between 2003 and 2004, the method used to classify data by industry has been revised. This particularly affects the ISIC category “wholesale trade” and consequently the BERD for total services.

U.S. R&D data are generally comparable, but there are some areas of underestimation:

1. i) Up to 2008, Government sector R&D performance covers only federal government activities. That by State and local government establishments is excluded;
2. ii) Except for the Government and the Business Enterprise sectors, the R&D data exclude most capital expenditures. For the Business Enterprise sector, depreciation is reported in place of gross capital expenditures up to 2014. Higher education (and national total) data were revised back to 1998 due to an improved methodology that corrects for double-counting of R&D funds passed between institutions.

Breakdown by type of R&D (basic research, applied research, etc.) was also revised back to 1998 in the business enterprise and higher education sectors due to improved estimation procedures.

The methodology for estimating researchers was changed as of 1985. In the Government, Higher Education and PNP sectors the data since then refer to employed doctoral scientists and engineers who report their primary work activity as research, development or the management of R&D, plus, for the Higher Education sector, the number of full-time equivalent graduate students with research assistantships averaging an estimated 50 % of their time engaged in R&D activities. As of 1985 researchers in the Government sector exclude military personnel. As of 1987, Higher education R&D personnel also include those who report their primary work activity as design.

Due to lack of official data for the different employment sectors, the total researchers figure is an OECD estimate up to 2019. Comprehensive reporting of R&D personnel statistics by the United States has resumed with records available since 2020, reflecting the addition of official figures for the number of researchers and total R&D personnel for the higher education sector and the Private non-profit sector; as well as the number of researchers for the government sector. The new data revise downwards previous OECD estimates as the OECD extrapolation methods drawing on historical US data, required to produce a consistent OECD aggregate, appear to have previously overestimated the growth in the number of researchers in the higher education sector.

Pre-production development is excluded from Defence GBARD (in accordance with the Frascati Manual) as of 2000. 2009 GBARD data also includes the one time incremental R&D funding legislated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Beginning with the 2000 GBARD data, budgets for capital expenditure – “R&D plant” in national terminology - are included. GBARD data for earlier years relate to budgets for current costs only.

Military Expenditure in Cambodia increased to 720.50 USD Million in 2024 from 668 USD Million in 2023. Cambodia Military Expenditure - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

United States GDP: QI: sa: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data was reported at 107.848 2005=100 in Mar 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of 111.362 2005=100 for Dec 2012. United States GDP: QI: sa: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data is updated quarterly, averaging 77.918 2005=100 from Mar 1947 (Median) to Mar 2013, with 265 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 123.906 2005=100 in Sep 2010 and a record low of 29.376 2005=100 in Jun 1947. United States GDP: QI: sa: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A232: NIPA 2009: GDP by Expenditure: Quantity Index: sa.

United States GDP: 2017p: YoY%: GCI: Fed: National Defense data was reported at 3.900 % in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.400 % for Dec 2024. United States GDP: 2017p: YoY%: GCI: Fed: National Defense data is updated quarterly, averaging 2.200 % from Mar 2003 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 89 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.000 % in Jun 2003 and a record low of -7.900 % in Sep 2013. United States GDP: 2017p: YoY%: GCI: Fed: National Defense data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A009: NIPA 2023: GDP by Expenditure: Chain Linked 2017 Price: YoY.

United States GDP: PI: sa: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data was reported at 121.022 2005=100 in Mar 2013. This records an increase from the previous number of 120.115 2005=100 for Dec 2012. United States GDP: PI: sa: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data is updated quarterly, averaging 42.470 2005=100 from Mar 1947 (Median) to Mar 2013, with 265 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 121.022 2005=100 in Mar 2013 and a record low of 9.604 2005=100 in Sep 1947. United States GDP: PI: sa: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A236: NIPA 2009: GDP by Expenditure: Price Index: sa.

Military Expenditure in Ghana decreased to 268.70 USD Million in 2024 from 285.40 USD Million in 2023. Ghana Military Expenditure - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

United States GDP: GCI: Fed: National Defense data was reported at 273.199 USD bn in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 275.254 USD bn for Dec 2024. United States GDP: GCI: Fed: National Defense data is updated quarterly, averaging 85.773 USD bn from Mar 1947 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 313 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 277.160 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 4.996 USD bn in Sep 1947. United States GDP: GCI: Fed: National Defense data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A001: NIPA 2023: GDP by Expenditure: Current Price.

United States GDP: 2017p: saar: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data was reported at 857.958 USD bn in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 875.953 USD bn for Dec 2024. United States GDP: 2017p: saar: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data is updated quarterly, averaging 817.980 USD bn from Mar 2007 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 73 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 899.718 USD bn in Dec 2010 and a record low of 735.829 USD bn in Jun 2016. United States GDP: 2017p: saar: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A010: NIPA 2023: GDP by Expenditure: Chain Linked 2017 Price: saar.

United States GDP: saar: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data was reported at 1,100.235 USD bn in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,110.551 USD bn for Dec 2024. United States GDP: saar: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data is updated quarterly, averaging 342.744 USD bn from Mar 1947 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 313 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,110.551 USD bn in Dec 2024 and a record low of 19.985 USD bn in Sep 1947. United States GDP: saar: GCI: Fed: National Defense (ND) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A002: NIPA 2023: GDP by Expenditure: Current Price: saar.

United States GDP: 2017p: saar: YoY%: GCI: Fed: National Defense data was reported at 4.000 % in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.500 % for Dec 2024. United States GDP: 2017p: saar: YoY%: GCI: Fed: National Defense data is updated quarterly, averaging 0.500 % from Mar 1948 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 309 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 108.500 % in Sep 1951 and a record low of -16.700 % in Dec 1954. United States GDP: 2017p: saar: YoY%: GCI: Fed: National Defense data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A028: NIPA 2023: GDP by Expenditure: Chain Linked 2017 Price: saar: YoY.

United States GDP: 2017p: GCI: Fed: National Defense data was reported at 212.446 USD bn in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 217.931 USD bn for Dec 2024. United States GDP: 2017p: GCI: Fed: National Defense data is updated quarterly, averaging 202.540 USD bn from Mar 2007 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 73 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 227.735 USD bn in Sep 2010 and a record low of 182.868 USD bn in Mar 2017. United States GDP: 2017p: GCI: Fed: National Defense data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.A008: NIPA 2023: GDP by Expenditure: Chain Linked 2017 Price.