Small states vs United States: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Small states
1.3%
in 2025
United States
3.1%
in 2025
Small states rank
34th
United States rank
31st
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Small states
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 3.1% against 1.3% in Small states, a difference of 1.8%.
That makes United States's figure about 2.4 times Small states's.
Across all 30 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Small states ranks 34th and United States ranks 31st of 45 groups.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Small states | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.5% | 4.2% | 1.7% | United States |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 4.0% | 2.8% | United States |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 3.9% | 2.7% | United States |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 3.4% | 2.0% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Small states or United States?
- United States, at 3.1% against 1.3% in Small states as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Small states and United States?
- 1.8%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Small states and United States?
- 30 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2025.
- How do Small states and United States rank globally for military expenditure?
- Small states ranks 34th and United States ranks 31st 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