US Military Spending by President: $929.2bn in 2025
US military spending stood at $929.2bn in 2025, still below its $1,061.7bn peak reached in 2010.
Key takeaways
- US military spending was $929.2bn in 2025, down 7.5% from 2024.
- The all-time high was $1,061.7bn in 2010; 2025 spending remains about 12.5% below that peak.
- The US spent $838.9bn in 2015, $943.4bn in 2020, and $1,004.9bn in 2024 before the 2025 pullback.
- The US accounted for 33.911% of global military spending in 2025, ranking #1 worldwide.
- The 5-year CAGR is -0.3% and the 10-year CAGR is 1.03%, showing near-flat real spending growth over the past decade.
Verdict
US military spending was $929.2bn in 2025, still about 12.5% below the $1,061.7bn peak reached in 2010, and down 7.5% from 2024 alone. The US remains the world's largest military spender, accounting for 33.911% of global military spending in 2025.
At a glance
| 2025 spending | $929.2bn3.12% of GDP |
|---|---|
| Peak year | $1,061.7bn (2010)Real-terms high point |
| World rank | #133.911% of global total |
| Year-over-year change | -7.5%2024 to 2025 |
| 10-year CAGR | 1.03%2015-2025 |
US military spending reached $929.2bn in 2025, equal to 3.12% of GDP, according to SIPRI's constant 2024-dollar series. That figure sits below the $1,061.7bn peak recorded in 2010, marking a real-terms decline of roughly 12.5% from the high point even as the United States remains the world's largest military spender by a wide margin.
01 US Military Spending in 2025: The Current Number
In 2025, US military expenditure stood at $929.2bn, down 7.5% from the prior year. That spending equated to 3.12% of US GDP and kept the United States ranked #1 globally on total outlays. In dollar terms, the United States remains far ahead of every other country tracked in the SIPRI dataset.
02 The 2010 Peak and the Decline Since
US military spending peaked at $1,061.7bn in 2010, in constant 2024 dollars. The 2025 total of $929.2bn is $132.5bn below that peak, a decline of about 12.5% in real terms over fifteen years. The trajectory between those two points was not a straight line down: spending fell through the mid-2010s, rebuilt through the end of the decade, and climbed again before the 2025 pullback.
All figures are expressed in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars, which strip out inflation so that spending levels across years are directly comparable.
03 Spending Trajectory: 2015 to 2025
The available data points chart a decline-then-recovery-then-pullback pattern across the last decade. Spending bottomed out at $838.9bn in 2015, then rose to $943.4bn by 2020 and further to $1,004.9bn by 2024, before falling back to $929.2bn in 2025.
| Year | US Military Spending |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $838.9bn |
| 2020 | $943.4bn |
| 2024 | $1,004.9bn |
| 2025 | $929.2bn |
Mapped onto recent presidential terms, this trajectory shows spending near a low point in the middle of the decade, a sustained climb through the back half, and a fresh contraction in 2025. The data does not itself attribute cause to any administration; it simply records the year-by-year totals.
04 How the US Compares to the Rest of the World
The United States accounted for 33.911% of global military spending in 2025, ranking #1 worldwide. That share means roughly one in every three dollars of military spending tracked by SIPRI in 2025 was spent by the United States.
- Global rank — #1, the leader on total military expenditure in 2025.
- World share — 33.911% of global military spending in 2025.
- GDP share — 3.12% of US GDP directed to military spending in 2025.
05 Year-over-Year and 5/10-Year Growth Trends
US military spending fell 7.5% year-over-year from 2024 to 2025. Over a longer horizon, the five-year compound annual growth rate is -0.3%, indicating spending in 2025 was essentially flat to slightly below its level five years earlier, in real terms. The ten-year compound annual growth rate is 1.03%, a modest positive rate that reflects the recovery from the mid-2010s low even after accounting for the 2025 decline.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Year-over-year change (2024→2025) | -7.5% |
| 5-year CAGR | -0.3% |
| 10-year CAGR | 1.03% |
06 Data Source and Methodology
Figures on this page are drawn from SIPRI's military expenditure database, expressed in constant 2024 US dollars to allow direct comparison across years. Data as of July 7, 2026. Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. For the full year-by-year US series and additional detail, see the United States defense budget page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much did the US spend on its military in 2025?
- $929.2bn, equal to 3.12% of GDP, according to SIPRI constant 2024-dollar figures.
- When was US military spending at its highest?
- US military spending peaked at $1,061.7bn in 2010, in constant 2024 dollars. 2025 spending of $929.2bn is about 12.5% below that peak.
- What share of world military spending does the US account for?
- The US accounted for 33.911% of global military spending tracked by SIPRI in 2025, ranking #1 worldwide.
- Is US military spending rising or falling?
- It fell 7.5% year-over-year in 2025. Over a longer window, the 5-year CAGR is -0.3% and the 10-year CAGR is 1.03%, indicating roughly flat real spending since 2015.
defensebudget.org
Defense spending data, sourced from SIPRI
defensebudget.org tracks military expenditure for 160 countries using the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Pages are generated from that dataset and reviewed before publication.