Military Budget
➡️ U.S. Military Budget
The United States spends more on its military than the next 9 countries combined, accounting for nearly 40% of all global military expenditures in 2024.
Key Facts on U.S. Military Expenditure
- Massive Lead: U.S. spending exceeds the combined total of the next nine largest defense spenders, including China, Russia, India, UK, and Germany (Peterson Foundation 5/25)
- Global Percentage: U.S. military spending accounts for about 40% of the world total.
- 2024 Expenditure: According to SIPRI, U.S. military spending reached $997 billion in 2024.
- Comparison to China: China's estimated 2024 spending was $314 billion.
- Growth Driver: The U.S. has been a primary driver of increased global defense spending.
- Transparency & Audits: The Pentagon has never passed a full financial audit and billions of dollars are unaccounted for.
- Asset Accountability: In a recent audit, the DoD could not properly account for 63% of its $3.8 trillion in assets (Responsible Statecraft 12/23)
The high expenditure supports maintaining a global presence and advanced military equipment, often leading to debates regarding fiscal sustainability.
Author: Dr. Norbert Stute with the help of AI, Date: 16.04.26
Work in progress. Suggestions and collaboration welcome.
- US Defense Spending - The Guardian 210524
- Defense Budget - New York Times 210530
- Military Budget of the United States - Wikipedia 210514
- World Beyond War - We Need $2 Trillion/Year For Other Things (so true) 272037
- VIDEO: What can you get for $2 trillion? - World Beyond War 2/14 (must watch) 513453
- National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee - NWTRCC 513448
- Defense Budget - Congressional Budget Office 210511
- Department of Defense - USAspending.gov 210515
- DoD Budget Request - Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/CFO 210526
- Military Budgets and Defense Spending - RAND Corporation 210522
- The Military Spending Debate - Charles Koch Institute 210533
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database 210523
- FY 2021 Defense Budget - U.S. Dept. of Defense 210512
- FY19 DoD Agency Financial Report PDF - U.S. Dept. of Defense 210513
- Report: Tax Day 2026: The Average Taxpayer Paid $4,049 for War and Weapons 15.04.26 (must read) 513452
- ‘Absurd Corruption’: Disgust as Eric Trump Brags About Scoring $24 Million Pentagon Deal - CD 23.04.26 514627
- Trump wants $1.5tn for the Pentagon – and cuts to healthcare and housing - Guardian 21.04.26 514508
- Profits of War: Top Beneficiaries of Pentagon Spending, 2020 – 2024 - Costs of War 7/25 513449
- The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 9 Countries Combined - Peterson Foundation 5/25 513447
- Trump’s budget for 2027, a breakdown (80% for military + police) - Stephen Semler 13.04.26 513450
- ‘Shameful’: $4,049 of Average US Taxpayer’s Bill Last Year Went to War and Weaponry - CD 09.04.26 513582
- “A Moral Obscenity”: White House Demands $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget, Largest Increase Since WWII - DN! 07.04.26 512790
- Trump’s $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget Will Make US Weaker - William Hartung, CD 03.04.26 513451
- ‘Ridiculous’: Pentagon Doesn’t Even Know What to Do With Extra $500 Billion Trump Wants to Spend - CD 23.02.26 509415
- What Is Blitzkrieg? - Bracing Views 23.01.26 507240
- DOGE Cuts “Unexpectedly and Significantly Impacted” Critical Pentagon Unit - Intercept 19.01.26 506986
- No Peace Dividends for U.S. - Bracing Views 14.01.26 504844
- Trump Wants $6 Trillion Tax Hike to Fund $600 Billion in New War Spending - CD 09.01.26 510167
- Estimated Cost of Trump Naval Blockade of Venezuela Climbs Toward $1 Billion - CD 08.01.26 504808
- The US Military Will Enjoy a Record-Breaking Budget in 2026 - Jacobin 23.12.25 502594
- Authoritarianism Feeds on a Bloated Military Budget - CD 19.12.25 502844
- The American People Don’t Want a Bigger Military Budget - Jacobin 15.12.25 501563
- Yet Another Trump Jr.-Backed Company Receives Massive Pentagon Deal - CD 04.12.25 500898
- While Ripping Trump Authoritarianism, Over Half of Senate Dems Help GOP Pass $925 Billion Pentagon Bill - CD 10.10.25 492804
- REPORT: Insights into the Auditability of DOD’s Fiscal Year 2024 Balance Sheet - GAO 9/25 513505
- Defense bill could loosen restrictions on Pentagon’s use of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ - Hill 10.09.25 487093
- House Passes NDAA to Push Military Spending Approved This Year Beyond $1 Trillion - CD 10.09.25 487711
- Trump Pledges $1 Trillion for US Military While Hitting Working Class With Huge Tax Hike - CD 08.04.25 464128
- Dear DOGE: Here’s how to Cut the Pentagon Budget by $100 Billion in 6 Easy Steps - Pressenza 24.03.25 463114
- Report: Inspector General U.S. Department of DefensePart 1. Understanding the Results of the Audit of the FY 2024 DoD Financial Statement - Inspector General 28.02.25 *.pdf 513506
- Sure Looks Like Hegseth's Proposed Pentagon 'Cuts' Wouldn't Be Cuts at All - CD 20.02.25 461077
- Trump predicts ‘billions’ of dollars of Pentagon fraud in Fox News interview - Guardian 09.02.25 459582
- Trump says Musk to uncover billions in ‘fraud and abuse’ at US Pentagon - Al Jazeera 09.02.25 459583
- The Ugly Truth about the Permanent War Economy - Stimson 02.12.24 450490
- Fact Sheet: Auditing the Department of Defense - POGO 05.11.24 513504
- ‘No alternatives’: Pentagon doubles down as new Sentinel ICBM’s cost jumps to $141 billion - Breaking Defense 08.07.24 426997
- Led by US, Global Military Spending Surged to Record $2.4 Trillion Last Year - CD 22.04.24 409818
- Biden’s budget for world war - WSWS 26.03.24 404325
- Pentagon can't account for 63% of nearly $4 trillion in assets - Responsible Statecraft 04.12.23 513503
- The Pentagon Fails Its Audit Again—and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again (Must Read) - CD 01.12.23 388638
- Biden says he's worried about Ukraine aid. The Pentagon warns it's running low - NPR 04.10.23 375769
- Pentagon's budget is so bloated that it needs an AI program to navigate it - Intercept 20.09.23 373507
- Ban Congressional Stock Trading to Help Control Pentagon Budget - CD 30.07.23 364840
- Dwight Was Right: Congress Must Say No to Military Contractors - CD 12.07.23 361562
- Video: Rep. Ro Khanna on Term-Limiting SCOTUS Justices, Sole “No” Vote on Pentagon Budget & Modi’s State Visit - DN! 06.07.23 360375
- Sanders Unveils Bill to Force Pentagon to Pass an Audit—or Return Part of Its Budget - CD 22.06.23 356860
- The debt deal limits Pentagon spending. Lawmakers are already figuring out ways around it - Politico 01.06.23 349895
- GOP Pushes for Even Larger Pentagon Budget Amid 'Unconscionable' Profiteering - CD 22.05.23 347942
- Defense budget topping $1 trillion 'inevitable,' Pentagon comptroller says - Washington Examiner 13.03.23 365134
- Insanity Continues as Pentagon Spending Moves Ever Closer to $1 Trillion - CD 10.03.23 337441
- 'Madness': Biden Requests Record $886 Billion Military Budget - CD 09.03.23 334421
- 'Astonishing': Nearly 60 groups blast 'supersized' trillion-dollar Pentagon budget - AlterNet 15.02.23 329948
- 60+ Faith Groups Urge Congress to 'Dramatically' Slash Pentagon Budget - CD 14.03.23 337191
- As Pentagon Budget Nears $1 Trillion, Groups Tell Biden: Enough - CD 14.02.23 332060
- Only about a third of the FY2023 spending bill is for programs unrelated to military and law enforcement - Stephen Semler 23.12.22 327760
- Congress, Biden boost war spending at the expense of social programs - WSWS 22.12.22 323153
- Congress Just Passed $858 Billion Military Budget, But GOP Is Blocking $12 Billion to Fight Child Poverty - CD 17.12.22 322283
- 'A Moral and Political Disgrace': Just 11 Senators Vote No on $858 Billion Military Budget - CD 16.12.22 322441
- War Industry 'Celebrating Christmas Early' as House Passes $858 Billion NDAA - CD 08.12.22 319221
- On Military Spending, the Establishment’s Inflation Hawks Are Nowhere to Be Found - Jacobin 20.07.22 296389
- The House Military Spending Bill Is a Massive Giveaway to the Weapons Industry - CD 18.07.22 295810
- House Votes Down Amendments to Cut 'Outrageous' Military Budget - CD 14.07.22 297000
- Groups Urge Voters to Call Lawmakers and Demand Cuts to Bloated Pentagon Budget - CD 13.07.22 295154
- '$839 Billion Military Budget Is a Policy Failure,' Say Critics as House Tees Up NDAA - CD 12.07.22 295158
- America's $1.4 Trillion So-Called "National Security" Budget Makes Us Less Safe—Not More - CD 07.07.22 294149
- Lee, Pocan File Amendment to Slash $100 Billion From US Military Budget - CD 07.07.22 294158
- 'Unconscionable': House Committee Adds $37 Billion to Biden's $813 Billion Military Budget - CD 22.06.22 292237
- 'Revolting': Senate Panel Adds Another $45 Billion to Biden's Military Budget - CD 17.06.22 291646
- The Largest Pentagon Budget Cut in History Is a Great Idea - Common Dreams 15.06.22 291769
- Poll Shows Majority of US Voters Opposed to Record-Level Pentagon Budget - CD 07.06.22 291398
- The push to supersize Pentagon spending ratchets up - Politico 04.06.22 292136
- The US War Budget Is Failing Young People - Common Dreams 18.05.22 287573
- More Than $900 of Your Tax Dollars Went to Corporate Military Contractors - CD 14.04.22 282550
- Will the Wasteful Pentagon Budget Ever Shrink? - Common Dreams 05.04.22 281178
- Biden’s record defense budget draws progressive ire over spending priorities - Guardian 03.04.22 280920
- Biden Wants to Give 163 Times More to US Military Than to Global Pandemic Response - CD 29.03.22 280282
- Biden Asks Congress to Approve Record $813 Billion in Military Spending - CD 28.03.22 280307
- New Analysis Says US Doesn't Need 'Bigger Military Budget to Deter Putin' - Guardian 03.03.22 275365
- Don't Let War Hawks Use Russian Invasion to Increase Pentagon Budget - CD 25.02.22 275258
- Biden's $770B Pentagon Budget Proposal Denounced as 'Absurd' - Common Dreams 16.02.22 273837
- Top 15 defense budgets in 2021 - Franz-Stefan Gady twitter 16.02.22 285641
- New national poll shows majority support for cuts in Pentagon spending - AFSC 15.02.22 273849
- Pentagon spending stuck in neutral even as lawmakers back budget boost - Politico 05.01.22 268889
- Pentagon Projected to Hand $407 Billion to Private Military Contractors This Fiscal Year - CD 31.12.21 267629
- Biden Signs NDAA, Lifting Pentagon Budget to Record-Shattering $778 Billion - Democracy Now 28.12.21 277019
- The Pentagon Just Got $778 Billion, But USAID Is Running Out of Money for Covid-19 Vaccines? - CD 27.12.21 267043
- A $778 Billion Pentagon Budget Is Our Lump of Coal - CD 23.12.21 267021
- US Senate overwhelmingly passes massive defence spending bill - Al Jazeera 15.12.21 265390
- Revealed: LAPD used ‘strategic communications’ firm to track ‘defund the police’ online - Guardian 15.12.21 265204
- Build Back Better or Build More Bombs? The Choice is Clear - Democracy Now! 09.12.21 264411