The United States spends 58 percent of the total defense dollars paid by the world's top 10 military powers.

Released:

August 05, 2012

The U.S. is the biggest military spender in the world – hundreds of billions ahead of #2 China

The United States spends 58 percent of the total defense dollars paid out by the world’s top 10 military powers, which combined for $1.19 trillion in military funding in 2011. With its unparalleled global reach, the US outspends China, the next-biggest military power, by nearly 6-to-1. Click on today’s infographic to see which nations round out the top 10 – and in the "What Do Others Say?" section below, explore more about the costs and benefits of superpower status.

Sources:

IHS Jane’s Defence Budgets: “Country comparisons”

IHS Jane’s Defence Budgets

What Do Others Say:

Rand Corporation: “Where might the US Army budget go, and how might it get there?

Huffington Post: “Two bullets per person: The trillion dollar military spending club”

Brookings Institution podcast: “The future of the security industrial base”

Washington Post: “China military spending to top $100 billion in 2012, alarming neighbors”

Stimson Center: “What we bought: Defense procurement FY01 to FY10”

The Economist: “The dragon’s new teeth”

Heritage Foundation: “Protect America from what?”

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