US Military Spending vs Other Countries
The United States spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined.
Top 10 Military Spenders (2024)
| Rank | Country | Spending | % of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $886B | 3.4% |
| 2 | China | $296B* | 1.7% |
| 3 | Russia | $109B | 5.9% |
| 4 | India | $84B | 2.4% |
| 5 | Saudi Arabia | $78B | 7.1% |
| 6 | United Kingdom | $75B | 2.3% |
| 7 | Germany | $68B | 1.6% |
| 8 | France | $64B | 2.1% |
| 9 | Japan | $55B | 1.2% |
| 10 | South Korea | $48B | 2.7% |
*China's actual spending is estimated to be 40-60% higher than officially reported.
US vs China: The Key Comparison
While the US officially outspends China roughly 3:1, purchasing power differences mean China gets more capability per dollar. Chinese military personnel costs are far lower, and domestic weapons production costs a fraction of US equivalents. In purchasing power parity terms, the gap narrows to roughly 1.5-2:1.
NATO Burden Sharing
The US accounts for approximately 68% of total NATO military spending. Most NATO allies have increased defense spending since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the US remains the dominant contributor by a wide margin.
Spending as % of GDP
When measured as a share of GDP, the US (3.4%) spends significantly less than countries like Saudi Arabia (7.1%) or Russia (5.9%), but more than most wealthy democracies. The NATO target of 2% of GDP is now being met by a growing number of European members.