Special Report

These Are the Countries with the Most Military Expenditures

pixgrapher / Getty Images

How much countries spend on their militaries has a direct correlation with their standing in the world, and it can ultimately tip geopolitical relations in their favor if they have the military might to back it up. The United States, China and Russia rank as some of the countries that spend the most on their respective militaries, making them some of the strongest in the world. (This country spent a third of its economy on its military last year.)

To identify which countries spent the most on their military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on U.S. military spending from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Military Expenditure Database, for the 2022 fiscal year. Figures are in current U.S. dollars. We included supplementary data on military expenditure as a percent of GDP, a percent of government spending, region, and 2023 population data from World Population Review.

It has been widely observed that the United States spends the most of any country in the world on its military. In fact, it spends more than the next ten nations combined on their respective militaries. Much of this spending goes to keeping U.S. forces outfitted with the most technologically advanced gear, aircraft and vehicles. (This is what the U.S. has spent on the military every year since 1970.)

China spends the second most of any nation, and much of this has recently gone to upgrading its naval forces. New aircraft carriers and other support ships are constantly being manufactured to bolster China’s hold within the Pacific and South China Sea.

Russia ranks as the third highest spender, with much of these funds currently dedicated to its ongoing conflict within Ukraine. Although there was a slow start to the conflict and it initially looked like neither side was budging, Russia has proven successful in recent months in maintaining a hold on territories that it is claiming as its own. Much of this can be attributed to its targeted spending on its military.

Here is a look at the countries with the most military expenditures:

30. Kuwait

thenationalguard / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $8,244.1 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 4.53%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 11.58%
  • Population (2023): 4,310,108
  • Region: Middle East

29. Norway

ajw1970 / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $8,388.4 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.64%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.78%
  • Population (2023): 5,474,360
  • Region: Western Europe

28. Mexico

Joel Carillet / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $8,535.5 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.61%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.22%
  • Population (2023): 128,455,567
  • Region: North America

27. Indonesia

AWG97 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military expenditure (2022): $8,986.6 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.70%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 4.11%
  • Population (2023): 277,534,122
  • Region: South East Asia

26. Algeria

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military expenditure (2022): $9,145.8 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 4.78%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 13.30%
  • Population (2023): 45,606,480
  • Region: North America

25. Colombia

Joel Carillet / iStock via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $9,937.7 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 3.08%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 9.18%
  • Population (2023): 52,085,168
  • Region: South America

24. Pakistan

dvids / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $10,337.5 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 2.63%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 17.89%
  • Population (2023): 240,485,658
  • Region: South Asia

23. Turkey

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military expenditure (2022): $10,644.6 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.23%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 4.40%
  • Population (2023): 85,816,199
  • Region: Middle East

22. Singapore

Seloloving / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military expenditure (2022): $11,687.6 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 2.77%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 16.91%
  • Population (2023): 6,014,723
  • Region: South East Asia

21. Taiwan

pixgrapher / Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $12,508.6 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.61%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 9.37%
  • Population (2023): 23,923,276
  • Region: East Asia

20. Qatar

Ijasmuhammed / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military expenditure (2022): $15,412.1 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 6.96%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 23.84%
  • Population (2023): 2,716,391
  • Region: Middle East

19. Netherlands

Sean Gallup / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $15,606.6 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.58%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.67%
  • Population (2023): 17,618,299
  • Region: Western Europe

18. Poland

Public Domain / usarmyeurope_images / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $16,573.1 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 2.39%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 5.84%
  • Population (2023): 41,026,067
  • Region: Central Europe

17. Brazil

thenationalguard / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $20,210.8 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.05%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.87%
  • Population (2023): 216,422,446
  • Region: South America

16. Spain

ManuelVelasco / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $20,306.6 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.47%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.14%
  • Population (2023): 47,519,628
  • Region: Western Europe

15. Israel

usembassyjlm / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $23,406.1 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 4.51%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 12.17%
  • Population (2023): 9,174,520
  • Region: Middle East

14. Canada

2020 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $26,896.3 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.24%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.88%
  • Population (2023): 38,781,291
  • Region: North America

13. Australia

west_point / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $32,298.9 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.90%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 5.02%
  • Population (2023): 26,439,111
  • Region: Oceania

12. Italy

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
  • Military expenditure (2022): $33,489.7 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.68%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.17%
  • Population (2023): 58,870,762
  • Region: Western Europe

11. Ukraine

2022 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $43,997.7 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 33.55%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): N/A
  • Population (2023): 36,744,634
  • Region: Eastern Europe

10. Japan

Chris McGrath / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $45,992.1 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.08%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.53%
  • Population (2023): 123,294,513
  • Region: Japan

9. South Korea

Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $46,365.4 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 2.72%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 10.57%
  • Population (2023): 51,784,059
  • Region: East Asia

8. France

Gwengoat / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $53,638.7 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.94%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.43%
  • Population (2023): 64,756,584
  • Region: Western Europe

7. Germany

ewg3D / iStock via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $55,759.7 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.39%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.75%
  • Population (2023): 83,294,633
  • Region: Western Europe

6. United Kingdom

ikholwadia / iStock via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $68,462.6 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 2.23%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 5.29%
  • Population (2023): 67,736,802
  • Region: Western Europe

5. Saudi Arabia

Photo by Abid Katib / Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $75,013.3 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 7.42%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 27.79%
  • Population (2023): 36,947,025
  • Region: Middle East

4. India

BDphoto / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $81,363.2 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 2.43%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 8.26%
  • Population (2023): 1,428,627,663
  • Region: South Asia

3. Russia

peer_gynt / Flickr
  • Military expenditure (2022): $86,373.1 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 4.06%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 10.35%
  • Population (2023): 144,444,359
  • Region: Eastern Europe

2. China

Pool / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $291,958.4 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.60%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 4.79%
  • Population (2023): 1,425,671,352
  • Region: East Asia

1. United States of America

John Moore / Getty Images News via Getty Images
  • Military expenditure (2022): $876,943.2 million
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 3.45%
  • Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): N/A
  • Population (2023): 339,996,563
  • Region: North America

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