Military spending as a share of GDP in United States of America
United States of America: Military spending as a share of GDP was 3.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3.1%
Change on year
down 9.1%
World rank
31st
of 166 countries
All-time high
13.9%
in 1952
All-time low
3.1%
in 1999
Years of data
77
1949–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in United States of America, 1949–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, military spending as a share of gdp in United States of America stood at 3.1%.
That represents a change of down 9.1% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in United States of America peaked at 13.9% in 1952 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 1999.
That places United States of America 31st out of 166 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 77 years of available data.
Military spending as a share of GDP in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 5.3% | — |
| 1950 | 5.1% | -3.6% |
| 1951 | 10.2% | +100.1% |
| 1952 | 13.9% | +36.3% |
| 1953 | 13.6% | -2.0% |
| 1954 | 11.7% | -13.6% |
| 1955 | 10.2% | -13.5% |
| 1956 | 9.9% | -2.5% |
| 1957 | 10.0% | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 10.1% | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 9.4% | -6.3% |
| 1960 | 9.0% | -4.7% |
| 1961 | 9.2% | +1.8% |
| 1962 | 9.3% | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 8.8% | -5.4% |
| 1964 | 8.1% | -8.8% |
| 1965 | 7.6% | -5.8% |
| 1966 | 8.4% | +11.2% |
| 1967 | 9.4% | +11.6% |
| 1968 | 9.3% | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 8.6% | -6.9% |
| 1970 | 8.0% | -7.0% |
| 1971 | 6.9% | -13.6% |
| 1972 | 6.5% | -6.1% |
| 1973 | 5.9% | -9.6% |
| 1974 | 6.0% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 5.6% | -5.6% |
| 1976 | 5.2% | -7.7% |
| 1977 | 5.2% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 4.9% | -4.1% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 5.2% | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 5.6% | +9.6% |
| 1982 | 6.8% | +20.7% |
| 1983 | 6.3% | -7.2% |
| 1984 | 6.2% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 6.5% | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 6.6% | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 6.4% | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 6.1% | -5.4% |
| 1989 | 5.9% | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | -4.5% |
| 1991 | 4.9% | -12.9% |
| 1992 | 5.0% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 4.6% | -7.4% |
| 1994 | 4.2% | -8.5% |
| 1995 | 3.9% | -8.4% |
| 1996 | 3.6% | -7.9% |
| 1997 | 3.4% | -4.2% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 3.1% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 3.4% | +10.4% |
| 2003 | 3.8% | +11.0% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 4.1% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 4.0% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 4.4% | +9.2% |
| 2009 | 4.9% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 4.9% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | -9.8% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 3.4% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 3.6% | +6.8% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 3.3% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | +4.1% |
| 2025 | 3.1% | -9.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1 |
| 1950s | 10.4% | 5.1% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.8% | 7.6% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.9% | 4.9% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.2% | 5.2% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.1% | 3.1% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.9% | 3.1% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More economy & growth data for United States of America
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.63 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.12 Percent per annum (2029)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 5.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 0.6804 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 61,250 current LCU per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 2.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5343 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 46,041 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 5.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8153 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in United States of America?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in United States of America was 3.1% in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 13.9% in 1952.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 1999.
- How does United States of America rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- United States of America ranks 31st out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.