United Kingdom vs United States
United Kingdom vs United States: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $88B in United Kingdom and $929B in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $841B, or 11 times that in United Kingdom.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, United Kingdom ranked 6 and United States ranked 1 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $88B | $929B |
| 2024 | $89.8B | $1.01T |
| 2023 | $78.2B | $943B |
| 2022 | $73.2B | $923B |
| 2021 | $72.1B | $933B |
| 2020 | $71B | $943B |
| 2019 | $69.9B | $901B |
| 2018 | $67.1B | $853B |
| 2017 | $66.6B | $828B |
| 2016 | $66.4B | $836B |
| 2015 | $66.7B | $839B |
| 2014 | $69.3B | $858B |
| 2013 | $70.6B | $915B |
| 2012 | $73.3B | $991B |
| 2011 | $75.4B | $1.05T |
| 2010 | $78B | $1.06T |
| 2009 | $79.3B | $1.03T |
| 2008 | $78.1B | $957B |
| 2007 | $74.8B | $892B |
| 2006 | $72.8B | $869B |
| 2005 | $72.5B | $857B |
| 2004 | $71.8B | $819B |
| 2003 | $71B | $751B |
| 2002 | $66.2B | $660B |
| 2001 | $62.5B | $588B |
| 2000 | $60.1B | $583B |
| 1999 | $59B | $561B |
| 1998 | $59.3B | $560B |
| 1997 | $59.1B | $573B |
| 1996 | $61.3B | $576B |
| 1995 | $61.8B | $609B |
| 1994 | $65.9B | $652B |
| 1993 | $67.8B | $688B |
| 1992 | $71B | $727B |
| 1991 | $76.1B | $690B |
| 1990 | $75.2B | $781B |
| 1989 | $75.1B | $815B |
| 1988 | $74.4B | $821B |
| 1987 | $77.2B | $839B |
| 1986 | $78B | $846B |
| 1985 | $79B | $793B |
| 1984 | $78.3B | $740B |
| 1983 | $74.6B | $704B |
| 1982 | $71.4B | $721B |
| 1981 | $65.5B | $609B |
| 1980 | $66.8B | $547B |
| 1979 | $62.7B | $548B |
| 1978 | $60.8B | $545B |
| 1977 | $58.9B | $542B |
| 1976 | $61.6B | $522B |
| 1975 | $62.5B | $537B |
| 1974 | $59.5B | $568B |
| 1973 | $59.5B | $575B |
| 1972 | $59.3B | $605B |
| 1971 | $55.7B | $606B |
| 1970 | $55.9B | $674B |
| 1969 | $54.2B | $727B |
| 1968 | $57.4B | $761B |
| 1967 | $58.2B | $737B |
| 1966 | $56.8B | $642B |
| 1965 | $57.1B | $543B |
| 1964 | $56.9B | $540B |
| 1963 | $55.4B | $559B |
| 1962 | $54.5B | $567B |
| 1961 | $53.8B | $523B |
| 1960 | $53.8B | $502B |
| 1959 | $52.7B | $515B |
| 1958 | $53B | $511B |
| 1957 | $54.4B | $514B |
| 1956 | $56.4B | $500B |
| 1955 | $57.4B | $493B |
| 1954 | $60.3B | $521B |
| 1953 | $63.5B | $604B |
| 1952 | $57.2B | $587B |
| 1951 | $44.7B | $416B |
| 1950 | $38B | $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
United Kingdom vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyUnited Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterUnited Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionUnited Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUnited Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageUnited Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personUnited Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthUnited Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationUnited Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtUnited Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelUnited Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerUnited Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersUnited Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsUnited Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025