United States vs Vietnam
United States vs Vietnam: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $929B in United States and $10.9B in Vietnam, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $918B, or 85 times that in Vietnam.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1987.
- In 2025, United States ranked 1 and Vietnam ranked 32 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | United States | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $929B | $10.9B |
| 2024 | $1.01T | $8.59B |
| 2023 | $943B | $8.12B |
| 2022 | $923B | $7.31B |
| 2021 | $933B | $7.96B |
| 2020 | $943B | $7.73B |
| 2019 | $901B | $8.03B |
| 2018 | $853B | $7.69B |
| 2017 | $828B | $7.32B |
| 2016 | $836B | $7.34B |
| 2015 | $839B | $7.2B |
| 2014 | $858B | $6.51B |
| 2013 | $915B | $6.58B |
| 2012 | $991B | $5.99B |
| 2011 | $1.05T | $4.11B |
| 2010 | $1.06T | $3.96B |
| 2009 | $1.03T | $4.23B |
| 2008 | $957B | $3.06B |
| 2007 | $892B | $3.24B |
| 2006 | $869B | $2.51B |
| 2005 | $857B | $2.13B |
| 2004 | $819B | $2.05B |
| 2003 | $751B | $2B |
| 2002 | $660B | – |
| 2001 | $588B | – |
| 2000 | $583B | – |
| 1999 | $561B | – |
| 1998 | $560B | – |
| 1997 | $573B | – |
| 1996 | $576B | – |
| 1995 | $609B | – |
| 1994 | $652B | $1.08B |
| 1993 | $688B | $793M |
| 1992 | $727B | $1.01B |
| 1991 | $690B | $1.6B |
| 1990 | $781B | $2.25B |
| 1989 | $815B | $1.89B |
| 1988 | $821B | $1.43B |
| 1987 | $839B | $884M |
| 1986 | $846B | – |
| 1985 | $793B | – |
| 1984 | $740B | – |
| 1983 | $704B | – |
| 1982 | $721B | – |
| 1981 | $609B | – |
| 1980 | $547B | – |
| 1979 | $548B | – |
| 1978 | $545B | – |
| 1977 | $542B | – |
| 1976 | $522B | – |
| 1975 | $537B | – |
| 1974 | $568B | – |
| 1973 | $575B | – |
| 1972 | $605B | – |
| 1971 | $606B | – |
| 1970 | $674B | – |
| 1969 | $727B | – |
| 1968 | $761B | – |
| 1967 | $737B | – |
| 1966 | $642B | – |
| 1965 | $543B | – |
| 1964 | $540B | – |
| 1963 | $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
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 per personUnited States: $2,755 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending 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