Military spending, per capita in United States
United States: Military spending, per capita was 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
3rd
of 171 countries
All-time high
3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person
in 2023
All-time low
1,625 constant 2022 US$ per person
in 1978
Years of data
64
1960–2023
Military spending, per capita in United States, 1960–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in constant 2022 US$ per person.
Analysis
In 2023, military spending, per capita in United States stood at 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 33.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending, per capita in United States peaked at 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,625 constant 2022 US$ per person, in 1978.
United States ranks 3rd of 171 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Military spending, per capita in United States, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1,962 constant 2022 US$ per person | — |
| 1961 | 2,116 constant 2022 US$ per person | +7.8% |
| 1962 | 2,075 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.9% |
| 1963 | 1,919 constant 2022 US$ per person | -7.5% |
| 1964 | 2,062 constant 2022 US$ per person | +7.4% |
| 1965 | 2,048 constant 2022 US$ per person | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 2,360 constant 2022 US$ per person | +15.3% |
| 1967 | 2,627 constant 2022 US$ per person | +11.3% |
| 1968 | 2,590 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 2,492 constant 2022 US$ per person | -3.8% |
| 1970 | 2,290 constant 2022 US$ per person | -8.1% |
| 1971 | 2,063 constant 2022 US$ per person | -9.9% |
| 1972 | 2,030 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 1,911 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.9% |
| 1974 | 1,727 constant 2022 US$ per person | -9.6% |
| 1975 | 1,689 constant 2022 US$ per person | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 1,637 constant 2022 US$ per person | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 1,656 constant 2022 US$ per person | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 1,625 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 1,690 constant 2022 US$ per person | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 1,715 constant 2022 US$ per person | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 1,816 constant 2022 US$ per person | +5.9% |
| 1982 | 2,107 constant 2022 US$ per person | +16.0% |
| 1983 | 2,117 constant 2022 US$ per person | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 2,288 constant 2022 US$ per person | +8.1% |
| 1985 | 2,485 constant 2022 US$ per person | +8.6% |
| 1986 | 2,534 constant 2022 US$ per person | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 2,466 constant 2022 US$ per person | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 2,422 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 2,418 constant 2022 US$ per person | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 2,288 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.4% |
| 1991 | 2,016 constant 2022 US$ per person | -11.9% |
| 1992 | 2,144 constant 2022 US$ per person | +6.4% |
| 1993 | 2,029 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.4% |
| 1994 | 2,009 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 1,871 constant 2022 US$ per person | -6.9% |
| 1996 | 1,725 constant 2022 US$ per person | -7.8% |
| 1997 | 1,726 constant 2022 US$ per person | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 1,745 constant 2022 US$ per person | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 1,722 constant 2022 US$ per person | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 1,754 constant 2022 US$ per person | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 1,888 constant 2022 US$ per person | +7.6% |
| 2002 | 1,851 constant 2022 US$ per person | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 2,188 constant 2022 US$ per person | +18.2% |
| 2004 | 2,260 constant 2022 US$ per person | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 2,344 constant 2022 US$ per person | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 2,452 constant 2022 US$ per person | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 2,521 constant 2022 US$ per person | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 2,554 constant 2022 US$ per person | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 2,574 constant 2022 US$ per person | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 2,705 constant 2022 US$ per person | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 2,707 constant 2022 US$ per person | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 2,472 constant 2022 US$ per person | -8.7% |
| 2013 | 2,362 constant 2022 US$ per person | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 2,232 constant 2022 US$ per person | -5.5% |
| 2015 | 2,276 constant 2022 US$ per person | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 2,281 constant 2022 US$ per person | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 2,359 constant 2022 US$ per person | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 2,552 constant 2022 US$ per person | +8.2% |
| 2019 | 2,716 constant 2022 US$ per person | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 2,985 constant 2022 US$ per person | +9.9% |
| 2021 | 3,013 constant 2022 US$ per person | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 3,104 constant 2022 US$ per person | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person | +1.9% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 726.38 constant 2022 US$ per person, 4.4× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,225 constant 2022 US$ per person | 1,919 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,627 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,832 constant 2022 US$ per person | 1,625 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,290 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,237 constant 2022 US$ per person | 1,715 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,534 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,927 constant 2022 US$ per person | 1,722 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,288 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,239 constant 2022 US$ per person | 1,754 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,574 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,466 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,232 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,716 constant 2022 US$ per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,066 constant 2022 US$ per person | 2,985 constant 2022 US$ per person | 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 1 Qatar 5,411 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 2 Israel 3,209 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 4 United Arab Emirates 2,647 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 5 Saudi Arabia 2,621 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
- 6 Singapore 2,601 constant 2022 US$ per person compare
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending, per capita in United States?
- Military spending, per capita in United States was 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest military spending, per capita recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 3,162 constant 2022 US$ per person in 2023.
- What is the lowest military spending, per capita recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,625 constant 2022 US$ per person in 1978.
- How does United States rank for military spending, per capita?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 171 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending, per capita rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Military spending, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Military spending divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Military spending ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Military spending Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Military spending divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.