American military spending is a number people throw around constantly — especially when we’re at war or there’s a new budget bill on the table. That number can seem abstract in its massiveness, so let’s put it in context and compare U.S. military spending to the rest of the world. Here’s how it stacks up to the nine other countries that spend the most, using 2024 numbers (the most recent year available) compiled by World Population Review.
Top 10 Countries That Spend the Most on Defense
- United State of America: $968.4 billion
As you probably guessed, the U.S. spends the most money on its military, by far. That number is certainly going up, with the White House proposing an eye-popping $1.5 trillion budget for 2027. That’s almost as much as the next top nine countries’ military spending combined, and amounted to 9.11% of all government spending in 2024. - China: $317.6 billion
China spends the second highest in the world on its military. It’s less than one-third of the amount the U.S. spends, making up just over 5% of its total government spending. - Russia: $150.5 billion
Russia was already waging war against Ukraine for two years, which certainly accounts for a large amount of the $150 billion. Military spending made up a large 18.9% of the government’s budget in 2024. - Germany: $86.3 billion
Fourth on the list is a country much smaller than its higher-spending counterparts: Germany. It’s also the European country that spends the most on its military. However, it’s only 3.93% of its total government budget. - India: $83.6 billion
India comes in fifth in military spending, despite having the world’s largest population. That amounts to 7.63% of the government’s total spending. - Saudi Arabia: $79 billion
Saudi Arabia spends the most on its military in the Middle East at $79 billion. That means they spend a large 22.31% of their total budget on defense, much higher than most other countries. - United Kingdom: $77.4 billion
The UK, made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, spent the seventh most money on defense in 2024. That made up 5.25% of its total government spending. - Ukraine: $66.8 billion
Thanks to the war against Russia, Ukraine came in eighth in defense spending. That was a massive 54% of its government spending, the most by any country in the world. - France: $63.1 billion
France takes the ninth spot in military spending with just over $63 billion in 2024. That equates to 3.59% of their entire budget, one of the lowest percentages on this list. - Japan: $58.4 billion
Japan takes the last spot in the top 10 with $58 billion, or about 3.25% of its government spending, the lowest on this list. That’s just over 6% of the United States’ annual military budget.
More From Cheapism
- The Biggest U.S. Military Site in Every State — The Department of Defense operates sites in all 50 states, in scores of other countries, and in several U.S. territories. Here’s a look at the biggest in every state, from forts and naval bases to missile ranges.
- Military Skills That Can Help Land a Civilian Job — Veterans face many unique challenges in coming home and finding work in the private sector.
- The 10 Best and Worst States for Military Retirees — Whether they’ve been out of the service for decades or are newly retired from the military, America’s veterans need places to live where they have abundant access to quality health care, opportunities to find work, and low risk of becoming homeless.
