Ireland vs United States
Ireland vs United States: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 0.9% of government spending in Ireland and 8.3% of government spending in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 7.3 percentage points, or 8.9 times that in Ireland.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 146 and United States ranked 34 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Ireland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.9 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 9 |
| 2023 | 1 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | 1 | 9 |
| 2021 | 1 | 7.9 |
| 2020 | 1 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | 1.1 | 9.5 |
| 2018 | 1.1 | 9.3 |
| 2017 | 1.2 | 9.4 |
| 2016 | 1.2 | 9.6 |
| 2015 | 1.2 | 9.9 |
| 2014 | 1.2 | 10.4 |
| 2013 | 1.2 | 11.2 |
| 2012 | 1.2 | 12 |
| 2011 | 1.2 | 12.4 |
| 2010 | 0.9 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | 1.3 | 11.8 |
| 2008 | 1.4 | 12 |
| 2007 | 1.4 | 11.8 |
| 2006 | 1.5 | 12 |
| 2005 | 1.6 | 12.1 |
| 2004 | 1.7 | 12 |
| 2003 | 1.8 | 11.3 |
| 2002 | 1.9 | 10.3 |
| 2001 | 2.2 | 9.6 |
| 2000 | 2.3 | – |
| 1999 | 2.3 | – |
| 1998 | 2.4 | – |
| 1997 | 2.6 | – |
| 1996 | 2.6 | – |
| 1995 | 2.5 | – |
| 1994 | 2.6 | – |
| 1993 | 2.6 | – |
| 1992 | 2.6 | – |
| 1991 | 2.8 | – |
| 1990 | 2.8 | – |
| 1989 | 2.6 | – |
| 1988 | 2.5 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 150 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ireland vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIreland: 96% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIreland: 64.6% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIreland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025