Switzerland vs United States
Switzerland vs United States: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 2.4% of government spending in Switzerland and 8.3% of government spending in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 5.9 percentage points, or 3.5 times that in Switzerland.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, Switzerland ranked 132 and United States ranked 34 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Switzerland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.4 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 2.2 | 9 |
| 2023 | 2.2 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | 2.2 | 9 |
| 2021 | 2 | 7.9 |
| 2020 | 2.1 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | 2.2 | 9.5 |
| 2018 | 2.1 | 9.3 |
| 2017 | 2.1 | 9.4 |
| 2016 | 2.1 | 9.6 |
| 2015 | 2 | 9.9 |
| 2014 | 2 | 10.4 |
| 2013 | 2.2 | 11.2 |
| 2012 | 2.1 | 12 |
| 2011 | 2.2 | 12.4 |
| 2010 | 2.2 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | 2.3 | 11.8 |
| 2008 | 2.4 | 12 |
| 2007 | 2.4 | 11.8 |
| 2006 | 2.5 | 12 |
| 2005 | 2.6 | 12.1 |
| 2004 | 2.6 | 12 |
| 2003 | 2.7 | 11.3 |
| 2002 | 2.7 | 10.3 |
| 2001 | 3.1 | 9.6 |
| 2000 | 3.1 | – |
| 1999 | 3.2 | – |
| 1998 | 3.5 | – |
| 1997 | 3.6 | – |
| 1996 | 3.8 | – |
| 1995 | 4.1 | – |
| 1994 | 4 | – |
| 1993 | 4.1 | – |
| 1992 | 4.7 | – |
| 1991 | 5.1 | – |
| 1990 | 5.5 | – |
| 1989 | 5.3 | – |
| 1988 | 5.4 | – |
- 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
Switzerland vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySwitzerland: 84 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySwitzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySwitzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSwitzerland: 96.7% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionSwitzerland: 3.71% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSwitzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSwitzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSwitzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSwitzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSwitzerland: 85.7% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSwitzerland: 42.3 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSwitzerland: 19.6% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSwitzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSwitzerland: $93,330 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSwitzerland: 1.6% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSwitzerland: 0.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSwitzerland: 40.1% of GDP in 2025United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSwitzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSwitzerland: $7.15B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSwitzerland: $849 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSwitzerland: 20,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSwitzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSwitzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSwitzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSwitzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025