United States vs Vietnam
United States vs Vietnam: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 8.3% of government spending in United States and 9.9% of government spending in Vietnam, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 1.7 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in United States.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher since 2014, when it overtook United States.
- In 2025, United States ranked 34 and Vietnam ranked 29 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | United States | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| 2024 | 9 | 9.4 |
| 2023 | 8.7 | 9.8 |
| 2022 | 9 | 9.4 |
| 2021 | 7.9 | 10.2 |
| 2020 | 8.2 | 9.7 |
| 2019 | 9.5 | 11 |
| 2018 | 9.3 | 10.9 |
| 2017 | 9.4 | 10.6 |
| 2016 | 9.6 | 11.1 |
| 2015 | 9.9 | 10.6 |
| 2014 | 10.4 | 10.6 |
| 2013 | 11.2 | 10.6 |
| 2012 | 12 | 10.3 |
| 2011 | 12.4 | 8.3 |
| 2010 | 12.3 | 7.8 |
| 2009 | 11.8 | 8.6 |
| 2008 | 12 | 7.6 |
| 2007 | 11.8 | 8.1 |
| 2006 | 12 | 7.4 |
| 2005 | 12.1 | 6.8 |
| 2004 | 12 | 7.5 |
| 2003 | 11.3 | 7.6 |
| 2002 | 10.3 | – |
| 2001 | 9.6 | – |
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.
- 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
United States vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyUnited States: 79.3 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterUnited States: 97.5% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionUnited States: 4.84% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited States: 344 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited States: 0.58% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUnited States: 80.2% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageUnited States: 38 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited States: 17.4% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsUnited States: $929B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited States: $2,755 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelUnited States: 1.4 million people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerUnited States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersUnited States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsUnited States: 745 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited States: 14 billion TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018