Defense Spending

Infographic: The Facts About U.S. Defense Spending

Last Updated August 12, 2024

National security is both a vital priority and a significant part of the federal budget. Consequently, negotiating levels of defense spending is often one of the more contentious parts of the budget process. To help put those debates in perspective, the infographic below provides an overview of U.S. defense spending and its place in the overall budget.

The good news is that there are ways of ensuring America’s security while strengthening our fiscal and economic outlook. Read more about the policy options.

Infographic: The Facts About U.S. Defense Spending

Feel free to share this infographic on Twitter.

Tweet: How much does the United States spend on defense? https://ctt.ec/cHeP8+ via @pgpfoundation

Defense spending accounts for 13% of all federal spending ini 2023.

Tweet: How much does the federal government spend on defense compared to other priorities? https://ctt.ec/x9h8J+ via @pgpfoundation

Defense spending accounts for 13% of all federal spending and is the single largest category of discretionary spending.

Tweet: The U.S. spends more on defense than the next 9 countries combined. https://ctt.ec/_OR3q+ via @pgpfoundation

The U.S. spends more on defense than the next 9 countries combined.

Tweet: The U.S. spends more than other countries on defense — both in real dollars and as a percent of GDP. https://ctt.ec/157cR+ via @pgpfoundation

The U.S. has historically devoted a larger share of its economy to defense than many of its key allies.

Tweet: U.S. defense spending is currently below its historical average. https://ctt.ec/39y8m+ via @pgpfoundation

Total defense spending is currently below its historical average as a share of GDP and its projected to decline further.

Tweet: America's fiscal future and National Security are closely linked. https://ctt.ec/e55Ur+ via @pgpfoundation

America's fiscal and national security are closely linked.

Further Reading

soldiers

Budget Basics: National Defense

The national defense budget funds a wide range of activities and represents a significant share of overall federal spending.

Spending on Veterans in the Budget

This piece examines spending on veterans within the budget and outlines the factors that have pushed it higher in recent years.

A U.S. soldier mans a gun at the back gate aboard a helicopter

The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 9 Countries Combined

Defense spending by the United States accounted for nearly 40 percent of military expenditures by countries around the world in 2023.