United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland vs United States of America: Military spending per armed forces personnel

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
463,783
in 2020
United States of America
676,306
in 2020
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
4th
United States of America rank
1st

Military spending per armed forces personnel over time

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • United States of America
200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k600.0k700.0k198520022020

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 676,306 against 463,783 in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 212,523.

That makes United States of America's figure about 1.5 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.

Across all 33 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 4th and United States of America ranks 1st of 160 countries.

United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United States of America Difference Ahead
1980s 236,296 366,184 129,887 United States of America
1990s 260,174 363,880 103,706 United States of America
2000s 371,443 531,676 160,232 United States of America
2010s 447,849 640,919 193,070 United States of America
2020s 463,783 676,306 212,523 United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military spending per armed forces personnel, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or United States of America?
United States of America, at 676,306 against 463,783 in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2020.
What is the difference in military spending per armed forces personnel between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America?
212,523, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America rank globally for military spending per armed forces personnel?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 4th and United States of America ranks 1st of 160 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland vs United States of America: Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/military-spending-per-armed-forces-personnel/united-kingdom/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Military spending per armed forces personnel
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
160 places, 4,610 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed