European Union vs United States: Military expenditure
European Union
3.9%
in 2024
United States
9.1%
in 2024
European Union rank
39th
United States rank
39th
Military expenditure over time
- European Union
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 9.1% against 3.9% in European Union, a difference of 5.2%.
That makes United States's figure about 2.3 times European Union's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
European Union ranks 39th and United States ranks 39th of 43 groups.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.2% | 11.4% | 8.2% | United States |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 10.6% | 7.8% | United States |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 8.7% | 5.5% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, European Union or United States?
- United States, at 9.1% against 3.9% in European Union as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between European Union and United States?
- 5.2%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and United States?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do European Union and United States rank globally for military expenditure?
- European Union ranks 39th and United States ranks 39th of 43 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure