European Union vs United States of America: Military expenditure
European Union
1.9%
in 2024
United States of America
3.4%
in 2024
European Union rank
22nd
United States of America rank
24th
Military expenditure over time
- European Union
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 3.4% against 1.9% in European Union, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes United States of America's figure about 1.8 times European Union's.
Across all 65 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.
European Union ranks 22nd and United States of America ranks 24th of 45 groups.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.6% | 8.8% | 5.2% | United States of America |
| 1970s | 2.8% | 5.9% | 3.1% | United States of America |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 6.2% | 3.5% | United States of America |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 4.1% | 2.2% | United States of America |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 3.9% | 2.4% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 3.9% | 2.5% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 3.4% | 1.8% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, European Union or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 3.4% against 1.9% in European Union as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between European Union and United States of America?
- 1.5%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and United States of America?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do European Union and United States of America rank globally for military expenditure?
- European Union ranks 22nd and United States of America ranks 24th of 45 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product