Countries with the Largest Military Budgets

Data

Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Data for 2023. Spending in current USD billions.

Note: What You Should Know About Military Budgets

What a military budget actually measures

A military budget (or defence / defense expenditure) is the money a government sets aside each year for its armed forces. It usually covers personnel salaries and pensions, weapons and equipment purchases, research and development of new tech, operations and maintenance, and military infrastructure. In short, it is essentially everything a country spends to build, equip, train, and look after its soldiers, sailors, and air crews. The figure most experts quote comes from SIPRI (the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), which applies a consistent definition across countries so that budgets can be compared fairly around the world.

The big spenders

Looking at the table above, the United States stands far ahead of everyone else. Its defence spending is roughly equal to the next several countries combined — usually more than the next 8 to 10 largest militaries put together. China is a distant second, and its budget has grown rapidly for years as it modernizes its navy and air force. Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Germany round out the top ranks. Together, the top five countries typically account for more than half of all global military spending.

• The United States spends more on its military than the next several countries combined — roughly 40% of the global total.
• China is consistently the world's second-largest military spender, investing heavily in naval power.
• Russia spends a much higher share of its national income (as a % of GDP) than most Western powers.
• India, one of the world's most populated nations, ranks among the top spenders and modernizes steadily.
• Saudi Arabia typically allocates a very large slice of its GDP to defence.
• Germany and the UK are the leading European spenders alongside France.

Why % of GDP matters

Spending as a share of GDP is often a more telling number than the raw dollar figure. It shows how much of a country's economic output goes to the military, which is a better measure of defence "burden" and priorities. A smaller economy spending less money can still carry a heavy relative burden, while a huge economy like the US can support a giant military on a modest percentage. In the table, note how Ukraine's spending sits at an extreme ~37% of GDP — a direct result of the war — while richer, peaceful economies often sit near 1 to 2%.

What counts as defence spending?

Definitions are the tricky part. Standard measures include active forces, reserves, military pensions, and weapons procurement, but they usually exclude things like police, border patrols, and homeland security. That is why figures can look different depending on who is counting. Some countries also have hidden or off-budget spending, so the "true" figure can differ from the reported one — that is why analysts prefer to use SIPRI's consistent methodology.

Fun facts

• Global military spending reached an all-time high in recent years, driven largely by the US, China, and war-time increases.
• Combat aircraft and aircraft carriers are among the most expensive single line items in any defence budget.
• Even though the US spends the most by far, many smaller nations devote a bigger percentage of their GDP to defence.
• Defence spending rose sharply after major conflicts and geopolitical tensions, like the war in Ukraine.
• Military budgets also fund cyber defence, space operations, and intelligence — not just tanks and battleships.
• NATO has a widely cited guideline that members aim to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence.