Pakistan vs United States
Pakistan vs United States: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 13.8% of government spending in Pakistan and 8.3% of government spending in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Pakistan, by 5.6 percentage points, or 1.68 times that in United States.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Pakistan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, Pakistan ranked 17 and United States ranked 34 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Pakistan | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.8 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 14 | 9 |
| 2023 | 15 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | 15.9 | 9 |
| 2021 | 18.4 | 7.9 |
| 2020 | 17.2 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | 18.4 | 9.5 |
| 2018 | 18.8 | 9.3 |
| 2017 | 17.6 | 9.4 |
| 2016 | 18.1 | 9.6 |
| 2015 | 18 | 9.9 |
| 2014 | 17.3 | 10.4 |
| 2013 | 15.9 | 11.2 |
| 2012 | 16.1 | 12 |
| 2011 | 17 | 12.4 |
| 2010 | 16.8 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | 16.9 | 11.8 |
| 2008 | 16.1 | 12 |
| 2007 | 18 | 11.8 |
| 2006 | 21.4 | 12 |
| 2005 | 24.5 | 12.1 |
| 2004 | 26.1 | 12 |
| 2003 | 25.4 | 11.3 |
| 2002 | 22.6 | 10.3 |
| 2001 | 24 | 9.6 |
| 2000 | 22.4 | – |
| 1999 | 24 | – |
| 1998 | 23.5 | – |
| 1997 | 25 | – |
| 1996 | 24.6 | – |
| 1995 | 27.2 | – |
| 1994 | 27.4 | – |
| 1993 | 25.1 | – |
- 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
Pakistan vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyPakistan: 67.7 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPakistan: 5.6 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPakistan: 49.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterPakistan: 50.6% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionPakistan: 3.33% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide ratePakistan: 4.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPakistan: 248 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthPakistan: 1.48% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePakistan: 3.61 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPakistan: 39.5% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median agePakistan: 20.3 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPakistan: 4.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration ratePakistan: -6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPakistan: 2.91% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPakistan: $11.5B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personPakistan: $47 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPakistan: 943,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerPakistan: 1.77% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPakistan: 1.25% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPakistan: 706 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsPakistan: 127 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025