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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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
Source: 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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