The US has the world’s most expensive military, spending nearly $1 trillion on defense each year. That’s roughly four times China’s reported defense budget, the next largest.
From spending on nuclear technology to advanced aircraft and warships, the world’s top militaries allocate hundreds of billions of dollars each year to stay ahead.
In some countries, big-ticket items such as naval assets or technologically advanced aircraft or missiles account for the bulk of military spending, while others devote large sums to maintaining large conscription troop systems.
Ultimately, military spending varies by country depending on location and interests, Gian Gentile, a retired US Army colonel and senior historian at RAND, told Business Insider. Some countries prioritize homeland defense while others value overmatch and far-reaching power projection.
“The US spends a lot on more sophisticated, extremely precise weapon systems,” he said.
A military’s budget can be measured either as a total amount or as a share of its country’s GDP, reflecting the burden on its economy. Worldwide, countries spent an average of 2.4% of their GDP on defense in 2024.
Wartime spending as a share of GDP typically rises, putting strain on the civilian economy, said Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ukraine in 2024, for example, devoted over 15% of its GDP to its military, the highest share globally.
Spending statistics help paint a picture of defense priorities, but they don’t always translate into readiness for conflict.
“Readiness is very expensive, and perishable,” Cancian said.
A country’s on-paper investment in its defense systems doesn’t always translate directly into military capability, he added. Training and maintenance are often overlooked in analyses of spending on equipment and technologies.
A particularly significant cost when it comes to technologically advanced aircraft, for instance, is maintenance and sustainment.
Still, looking at military budgets can reveal how much capital each country relies on to defend itself.
Last year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, released its Military Balance report, which included data on nearly every country’s defense budget based on each’s reported 2024 figures.
The report includes each country’s total budget (in US dollars), per-capita figures, and defense budget as a share of GDP. Some countries, such as North Korea, Libya, Syria, Cuba, and Afghanistan, did not publicly report their defense budgets.
These are the 30 countries that spend the most on their military, ranked by the size of their defense budgets.
30. Qatar
Defense budget: $9.66 billion
Defense budget per capita: $3,785
Percentage of GDP: 4.36%
29. Norway
Defense budget: $9.79 billion
Defense budget per capita: $1,776
Percentage of GDP: 1.94%
28. Mexico
Defense budget: $10.19 billion
Defense budget per capita: $78
Percentage of GDP: 0.55%
27. Indonesia
Defense budget: $10.93 billion
Defense budget per capita: $39
Percentage of GDP: 0.78%
26. Sweden
Defense budget: $12.25 billion
Defense budget per capita: $1,157
Percentage of GDP: 2.01%
25. Iraq
Defense budget: $12.68 billion
Defense budget per capita: $301
Percentage of GDP: 4.8%
24. Turkey
Defense budget: $14.27 billion
Defense budget per capita: $170
Percentage of GDP: 1.06%
23. Singapore
Defense budget: $15.17 billion
Defense budget per capita: $2,517
Percentage of GDP: 2.86%
22. Taiwan
Defense budget: $18.86 billion
Defense budget per capita: $799
Percentage of GDP: 2.43%
21. Spain
Defense budget: $19.44 billion
Defense budget per capita: $411
Percentage of GDP: 1.12%
20. Algeria
Defense budget: $21.4 billion
Defense budget per capita: $455
Percentage of GDP: 8.23%
19. United Arab Emirates
Defense budget: $22.27 billion
Defense budget per capita: $2,220
Percentage of GDP: 4.09%
18. The Netherlands
Defense budget: $23.61 billion
Defense budget per capita: $1,328
Percentage of GDP: 1.94%
17. Brazil
Defense budget: $24.4 billion
Defense budget per capita: $111
Percentage of GDP: 1.11%
16. Canada
Defense budget: $27 billion
Defense budget per capita: $696
Percentage of GDP: 1.22%
15. Poland
Defense budget: $28 billion
Defense budget per capita: $723
Percentage of GDP: 3.25%
14. Ukraine
Defense budget: $28.41 billion
Defense budget per capita: $797
Percentage of GDP: 15.43%
13. Israel
Defense budget: $33.75 billion
Defense budget per capita: $3,589
Percentage of GDP: 6.39%
12. Italy
Defense budget: $35.23 billion
Defense budget per capita: $578
Percentage of GDP: 1.48%
11. Australia
Defense budget: $36.40 billion
Defense budget per capita: $1,360
Percentage of GDP: 2.02%
10. South Korea
Defense budget: $43.88 billion
Defense budget per capita: $842
Percentage of GDP: 2.35%
9. Japan
Defense budget: $53.01 billion
Defense budget per capita: $430
Percentage of GDP: 1.3%
8. France
Defense budget: $64.03 billion
Defense budget per capita: $937
Percentage of GDP: 2.02%
7. Saudi Arabia
Defense budget: $71.73 billion
Defense budget per capita: $1,963
Percentage of GDP: 6.52%
6. India
Defense budget: $74.36 billion
Defense budget per capita: $53
Percentage of GDP: 1.91%
5. United Kingdom
Defense budget: $81.06 billion
Defense budget per capita: $1,184
Percentage of GDP: 2.26%
4. Germany
Defense budget: $85.98 billion
Defense budget per capita: $1,022
Percentage of GDP: 1.83%
3. Russia
Defense budget: $120.32 billion
Defense budget per capita: $854
Percentage of GDP: 5.51%
2. China
Defense budget: $234.98 billion
Defense budget per capita: $166
Percentage of GDP: 1.29%
1. United States
Defense budget: $967.96 billion
Defense budget per capita: $2,831
Percentage of GDP: 3.32%
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