The world's ten biggest military budgets in 2024, ranked by total defence spending in current US dollars per SIPRI's April 2025 estimates.
Quick answer: 1. United States, 2. China, 3. Russia, 4. Germany, 5. India, 6. United Kingdom, 7. Saudi Arabia, 8. Ukraine, 9. France, 10. Japan.
Global military spending hit a record in 2024, and a handful of countries account for the overwhelming majority of it. This list ranks the ten largest national defence budgets for 2024 using the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, the standard reference for cross-country comparison. Figures are in current US dollars, with each country's year-on-year change and share of the world total shown alongside. The top five spenders alone — the United States, China, Russia, Germany, and India — made up about 60% of all military spending on the planet.
The world's largest military spender by a wide margin, the US spent about 3.2 times more than China and accounted for 66% of total NATO spending and 37% of world military spending in 2024.
The world's second-largest spender on SIPRI's estimate, up 7.0% year on year — the 30th consecutive annual increase in Chinese military spending.
SIPRI estimates Russian spending rose about 38% amid the war in Ukraine, reaching 7.1% of GDP and 19% of total government spending.
A 28% rise made Germany the fourth-largest spender globally and the biggest military spender in Western Europe for the first time since reunification.
The fifth-largest spender globally. The top five together made up 60% of world military spending, a combined $1,635 billion.
The sixth-largest spender globally and one of Europe's largest defence budgets.
The largest military spender in the Middle East and seventh globally.
The eighth-largest spender in absolute terms and carrying the world's heaviest military burden at 34% of GDP while defending against Russia's invasion. SIPRI places Ukraine just ahead of France, both at a rounded $64.7 billion.
The ninth-largest spender; SIPRI ranks France just behind Ukraine despite an identical rounded dollar figure of $64.7 billion.
The tenth-largest spender, and its 21% increase was one of the steepest among the top 10 as Japan expands its defence posture (1.4% of GDP).
| # | Name | changeFrom2023 | shareOfWorldTotal | region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | +5.7% | 37% | North America |
| 2 | China | +7.0% | 12% | Asia & Oceania |
| 3 | Russia | +38% | 5.5% | Europe |
| 4 | Germany | +28% | 3.3% | Europe |
| 5 | India | +1.6% | 3.2% | Asia & Oceania |
| 6 | United Kingdom | +2.8% | 3.0% | Europe |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia | +1.5% | 3.0% | Middle East |
| 8 | Ukraine | +2.9% | 2.4% | Europe |
| 9 | France | +6.1% | 2.4% | Europe |
| 10 | Japan | +21% | 2.0% | Asia & Oceania |
Countries are ranked by total annual military expenditure in 2024, measured in current US dollars, as estimated by SIPRI in the April 2025 release of its Military Expenditure Database (accompanying press release and fact sheet, "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2024"). SIPRI defines military expenditure to include spending on armed forces, defence ministries, paramilitary forces, and military space activities, covering personnel, operations, procurement, R&D, and construction. Values for China and Russia are SIPRI estimates. Inclusion is limited to national governments; the list is the ten highest single-country totals. France and Ukraine share the same rounded figure of $64.7 billion; SIPRI's published ordering places Ukraine eighth and France ninth on their unrounded totals, and that ordering is followed here. "Share of world total" and year-on-year percentage changes are taken directly from SIPRI's 2024 figures.
The United States, at about US$997 billion in 2024 according to SIPRI — roughly 37% of all military spending in the world and about 3.2 times more than China, the second-largest spender.
SIPRI reported an unprecedented rise in global military expenditure in 2024, reaching about US$2,718 billion. The top five spenders alone — the US, China, Russia, Germany, and India — accounted for about 60% of the total, a combined US$1,635 billion.
No. SIPRI publishes its figures for China and Russia as estimates rather than confirmed budgets, because official reporting is limited. Russia's 2024 spending is estimated at roughly US$149 billion (about 7.1% of GDP) and China's at about US$314 billion.
The two countries share the same rounded dollar figure, and this list follows SIPRI's own published ordering, which places Ukraine eighth and France ninth on their unrounded totals. Ukraine also carried by far the heaviest military burden relative to the size of its economy, at 34% of GDP.