Kenya vs United States
Kenya vs United States: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $1.36B in Kenya and $929B in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $928B, or 690 times that in Kenya.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1963.
- In 2025, Kenya ranked 73 and United States ranked 1 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Kenya | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.36B | $929B |
| 2024 | $1.26B | $1.01T |
| 2023 | $1.14B | $943B |
| 2022 | $1.14B | $923B |
| 2021 | $1.16B | $933B |
| 2020 | $1.13B | $943B |
| 2019 | $1.15B | $901B |
| 2018 | $1.19B | $853B |
| 2017 | $1.16B | $828B |
| 2016 | $1.13B | $836B |
| 2015 | $1.05B | $839B |
| 2014 | $976M | $858B |
| 2013 | $1.07B | $915B |
| 2012 | $1.09B | $991B |
| 2011 | $962M | $1.05T |
| 2010 | $941M | $1.06T |
| 2009 | $887M | $1.03T |
| 2008 | $870M | $957B |
| 2007 | $911M | $892B |
| 2006 | $814M | $869B |
| 2005 | $823M | $857B |
| 2004 | $780M | $819B |
| 2003 | $791M | $751B |
| 2002 | $783M | $660B |
| 2001 | $728M | $588B |
| 2000 | $632M | $583B |
| 1999 | $589M | $561B |
| 1998 | $605M | $560B |
| 1997 | $642M | $573B |
| 1996 | $676M | $576B |
| 1995 | $578M | $609B |
| 1994 | $504M | $652B |
| 1993 | $605M | $688B |
| 1992 | $724M | $727B |
| 1991 | $968M | $690B |
| 1990 | $1.24B | $781B |
| 1989 | $1.22B | $815B |
| 1988 | $1.31B | $821B |
| 1987 | $1.36B | $839B |
| 1986 | $1.06B | $846B |
| 1985 | $884M | $793B |
| 1984 | $1.05B | $740B |
| 1983 | $1.28B | $704B |
| 1982 | $1.36B | $721B |
| 1981 | $1.35B | $609B |
| 1980 | $1.39B | $547B |
| 1979 | $1.71B | $548B |
| 1978 | $1.57B | $545B |
| 1977 | $1.21B | $542B |
| 1976 | $723M | $522B |
| 1975 | $504M | $537B |
| 1974 | $505M | $568B |
| 1973 | $467M | $575B |
| 1972 | $414M | $605B |
| 1971 | $325M | $606B |
| 1970 | $260M | $674B |
| 1969 | $246M | $727B |
| 1968 | $255M | $761B |
| 1967 | $250M | $737B |
| 1966 | $208M | $642B |
| 1965 | $165M | $543B |
| 1964 | $102M | $540B |
| 1963 | $32.2M | $559B |
| 1962 | – | $567B |
| 1961 | – | $523B |
| 1960 | – | $502B |
| 1959 | – | $515B |
| 1958 | – | $511B |
| 1957 | – | $514B |
| 1956 | – | $500B |
| 1955 | – | $493B |
| 1954 | – | $521B |
| 1953 | – | $604B |
| 1952 | – | $587B |
| 1951 | – | $416B |
| 1950 | – | $195B |
| 1949 | – | $181B |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 151 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
Kenya vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyKenya: 63.7 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKenya: 3.51% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateKenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKenya: 55.3 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthKenya: 1.97% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKenya: 32.2% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageKenya: 19.5 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKenya: 2.9% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateKenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingKenya: 1.07% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personKenya: $26 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelKenya: 24,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerKenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersKenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsKenya: 117 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsKenya: 2 million TIV in 1993United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025