RL32209 -- Comparisons of U.S. and Foreign Military Spending: Data from Selected Public Sources


January 28, 2004





CONTENTS

<font size="+1">List of Tables</font>

Table 1. U.S. and Foreign Defense Spending (by Rank): Data from the IISS and U.S. Department of State

Table 2. U.S. and Foreign Defense Spending (by Country): Data from the IISS and U.S. Department of State

Table 3. NATO Defense Expenditures: Data from the IISS and U.S. Dept. of State



Summary

This report lists and compares military expenditures of the United States and foreign nations using two sources: the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) The Military Balance, and the U.S. State Department's World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT).

Although the IISS and the U.S. State Department aim to provide figures that are as consistent and accurate as possible, cross-national comparisons of defense spending are inherently imperfect. Available sets of figures are useful, but often do not correspond with one another for a variety of reasons. This report provides two sets of figures from widely recognized sources in order to offer Congress a sample of the data published on this topic. This report will be updated as necessary.



Introduction

Estimates of military spending by foreign nations are available from a number of sources. This CRS report lists and compares military expenditures of the United States and foreign countries using two of the most commonly cited and readily available publications: The Military Balance, published in October of each year by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)and World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT), published about annually by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Arms Control. (1)

Although the IISS and U.S. State Department aim to provide figures that are as consistent and accurate as possible, cross-national comparisons of defense spending are inherently imperfect. Available sets of figures are useful for comparative purposes, but often do not correspond with one another for a variety of reasons. This report provides two sets of figures from widely recognized sources in order to offer Congress a sample of the data published on this topic.

The Military Balance

In The Military Balance, military expenditures are defined as the cash outlays of a central or federal government to meet the costs of national armed forces. The term "armed forces" includes strategic, land, naval, air, command, administration, and support forces. It also includes paramilitary forces such as the gendarmerie, as well as customs service and border guards if these are trained in military tactics, equipped as a military force and operate under military authority in the event of a war. (2)

The IISS produces the most current estimates of foreign military expenditures. The 2003-2004 edition of The Military Balance contains military expenditure figures from 2002, while the most recent edition of the U.S. State Department's WMEAT contains military expenditure figures from 1999. The IISS obtains its figures using data from national governments, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, consistent and accurate data for many countries are not available even from these sources, as many countries neither publish their military expenditures nor report them accurately to these organizations. In these cases, the IISS estimates military expenditures "based on information from several sources." (3) Such cases are marked with an "E" on Table 1 and Table 2 in this report.

For most countries, the IISS converts budget data into dollars using current exchange rates in US Dollars. For countries where basic economic data are hard to obtain, such as former command economies like China, Russia, or countries in conflict, the IISS uses purchasing power parity (PPP) estimates for its conversions. PPPs measure the relative purchasing power of different currencies over equivalent goods and services. This method accounts for the substantial differences in estimated prices for defense goods.

World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT)

The U.S. State Department Bureau of Arms Control's World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT) report, most recently published on February 6, 2003, provides figures for the ten-year period from 1989 to 1999. (4) WMEAT uses the World Bank's average 1999 market exchange rates in order to calculate military expenditures for most countries. (5) In cases where no appropriate exchange rate is available, WMEAT uses PPP estimates.

For NATO members, WMEAT measures military expenditures according to a common definition that includes military retired pay and military-type expenditures of defense ministries. In this definition, a) civilian-related expenditures of defense ministries are excluded and military-related expenditures of other ministries are included; b) grant military assistance is included in the expenditures of the donor country; c) purchases of military equipment for credit are included at the time the debt is incurred, not at the time of payment.

For most other countries, figures represent the expenditures of the ministry of defense. When these are known to include the costs of internal security, an attempt is made to remove such expenditures. A wide variety of data sources is used for these countries, including the publications and data resources of other U.S. Government agencies, standardized reporting to the United Nations by country, and other international sources. (6)

For Russia, China, and many current or former communist countries, WMEAT estimates military expenditures in different ways. Figures for China are based on U.S. Government estimates of the yuan costs of Chinese forces, weapons, programs, and activities. WMEAT warns that figures for Chinese military spending should be treated as having a wide margin of error. (7)

Estimates for most states comprising the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact are made by establishing the ratio of military expenditures to Gross National Product (GNP) in national currencies and then multiplying this ratio by the World Bank's estimate of GNP in dollars as converted to international dollars by estimated PPPs and reported in the World Bank Atlas 1997. (8)

Using the IISS and WMEAT data, this report presents the following tables and figures:

Table 1. U.S. and Foreign Defense Spending (by Rank): Data from the IISS and U.S. Department of State
(current year U.S. dollars in millions)

Country  Rank  WMEAT
1999-2000		 IISS Military Balance
2003-2004
Defense Expenditures
(1999 Data)		 % GDP Defense Expenditures
(2002 Data)		 % GDP
United States 1 281,000 3.0 348,500 3.3
China - Mainland 2 88,900 2.2 51,000 4.1
Japan 3 43,200 1.0 39,500 1.0
France 4 38,900 2.7 40,200 2.5
United Kingdom 5 36,500 2.5 37,300 2.4
Russia 6 35,000 5.6 50,800 4.8
Germany 7 32,600 1.6 33,300 1.5
Italy 8 23,700 2.0 25,600 1.9
Saudi Arabia 9 21,200 14.9 22,200 12.0
China - Taiwan 10 15,200 5.2 7,900 2.7
South Korea 11 11,600 2.9 13,300 2.8
India 12 11,300 2.5 13,800 2.7
Turkey 13 9,950 5.3 9,200 5.1
Brazil 14 9,920 1.9 10,200 2.3
Israel 15 8,700 8.8 9,900 9.7
Canada 16 8,320 1.4 8,200 1.1
Spain 17 7,560 1.3 8,700 1.2
Australia 18 7,060 1.8 8,000 2.0
Netherlands 19 7,030 1.8 7,700 1.6
Iran 20 6,880 2.9 5,100 4.6
Poland 21 6,690 2.1 3,600 1.9
Greece 22 6,060 4.7 6,500 4.4
Sweden 23 5,330 2.3 4,200 1.7
Dem. Rep. of Congo 24 5,150 14.4 1,000 E  21.7
Ukraine 25 5,110 3.0 5,000 2.2
Myanmar 26 4,650 7.8 3,000 E* 5.0
Syria 27 4,450 7.0 1,900 E  10.3
Singapore 28 4,400 4.8 4,600 5.2
Argentina 29 4,300 1.6 1,500 1.4
North Korea 30 4,260 18.8 5,000 E  25.0
Belgium 31 3,600 1.4 3,600 1.3
Pakistan 32 3,520 5.9 2,700 3.9
Switzerland 33 3,400 1.2 3,000 1.1
Vietnam 34 NA NA 2,400 7.1
Norway 35 3,310 2.2 3,600 1.9
Czech Republic 36 3,000 1.3 1,500 2.1
Denmark 37 2,780 1.6 2,700 1.6
Mexico 38 2,700 0.5 5,600 0.9
Kuwait 39 2,690 7.7 3,500 10.7
Colombia 40 2,670 3.2 3,000 3.7
Angola 41 2,460 21.2 1,000 E  9.8
Portugal 42 2,410 2.2 1,700 2.3
Egypt 43 2,390 2.7 3,300 3.9
Romania 44 2,190 1.6 1,100 2.3
United Arab Emirates 45 2,180 4.1 2,800 E  4.0
Croatia 46 2,090 6.5 546 2.4
Thailand 47 2,040 1.7 1,800 1.5
Libya 48 NA NA 562 3.8
Chile 49 1,990 3.0 2,700 4.1
South Africa 50 1,960 1.5 1,800 1.7
Hungary 51 1,880 1.7 1,000 1.8
Algeria 52 1,830 4.0 3,100 5.9
Oman 53 1,780 15.3 2,700 13.4
Finland 54 1,770 1.4 2,100 1.4
Austria 55 1,690 0.8 1,800 0.8
Malaysia 56 1,660 2.3 3,400 E  3.6
Nigeria 57 1,560 1.6 511 E  1.2
Morocco 58 1,450 4.3 1,400 3.6
Indonesia 59 1,450 1.1 6,600 E  3.7
Venezuela 60 1,420 1.4 1,100 1.3
Iraq 61 1,250 5.5 NA NA
Bulgaria 62 1,240 3.0 400 2.5
Peru 63 1,200 2.4 914 1.6
Philippines 64 1,110 1.4 1,600 2.1
Qatar 65 1,060 10.0 1,900 E  10.6
Serbia/Montenegro 66 1,030 5.0 746 E  5.3
Slovakia 67 1,010 1.8 464 2.0
Uzbekistan 68 933 1.7 1,900* 2.9
Azerbaijan 69 927 6.6 900* 3.3
Belarus 70 925 1.3 2,000* 2.5
Ireland 71 779 1.0 759 0.6
Afghanistan 72 NA NA NA NA
Sri Lanka 73 729 4.7 533 3.2
Jordan 74 725 9.2 893 9.3
Kazakhstan 75 671 0.9 2,100* 2.0
Lebanon 76 653 3.9 536 3.2
Cuba 77 630 1.9 1,100 3.9
Bangladesh 78 624 1.3 675 1.4
New Zealand 79 587 1.2 667 1.2
Armenia 80 570 5.8 650* 6.4
Turkmenistan 81 542 3.4 300* 0.8
Ethiopia 82 533 8.8 467 E  8.0
Ecuador 83 479 3.7 724 E  3.0
Slovenia 84 436 1.4 329 1.5
Sudan 85 424 4.8 665 E  4.9
Bahrain 86 415 8.0 331 4.0
Yemen 87 374 6.0 515 E  5.7
Tunisia 88 357 1.8 404 1.8
Cambodia 89 332 4.0 92 2.5
Lithuania 90 314 1.3 247 1.8
Cyprus 91 309 3.4 240 2.4
Brunei 92 295 4.0 267 5.2
Kyrgyzstan 93 285 2.4 280* 1.9
Bosnia-Hercegovina 94 276 4.4 189 3.8
Uruguay 95 275 1.3 224 1.8
Zimbabwe 96 263 5.0 674 E  3.4
Macedonia 97 228 2.5 101 E  2.7
Botswana 98 222 4.7 269 E  4.5
Eritrea 99 208 27.4 106 E  16.0
Kenya 100 200 1.9 368 E  3.2
Estonia 101 173 1.5 99 1.6
Georgia 102 165 1.2 250* 1.7
Bolivia 103 148 1.8 125 1.6
Cameroon 104 148 1.8 129 1.2
Latvia 105 144 1.0 149 1.8
Luxembourg 106 141 0.8 204 0.9
Uganda 107 140 2.3 167 E  2.7
Panama 108 124 1.4 138 E  1.3
Dominican Republic 109 123 0.8 161 0.7
Tanzania 110 122 1.4 135 E  1.5
Guatemala 111 121 0.7 192 E  0.8
El Salvador 112 110 0.9 164 1.2
Mozambique 113 94 2.5 80 E  2.0
Gabon 114 93 2.4 79 E  1.7
Trinidad and Tobago 115 92 1.4 67 0.7
Namibia 116 91 2.9 83 2.8
Rwanda 117 87 4.4 72 E  4.1
Paraguay 118 84 1.1 57 1.0
Ivory Coast 119 82 0.8 144 E  1.4
Senegal 120 81 1.7 69 1.3
Tajikistan 121 80 1.3 130* 1.7
Albania 122 72 1.3 113 2.5
Costa Rica 123 69 0.5 94 0.6
Ghana 124 62 0.8 31 E  0.5
Congo 125 58 3.5 93 E  3.1
Mali 126 58 2.3 72 2.3
Guinea 127 54 1.6 61 E  1.8
Jamaica 128 51 0.8 37 0.5
Haiti 129 NA NA 32 E  1.0
Burundi 130 49 7.0 40 E  5.9
Madagascar 131 45 1.2 48 E  1.0
Nepal 132 44 0.9 105 1.9
Moldova 133 43 0.5 160 E  1.7
Burkina Faso 134 42 1.6 43 E  1.5
Somalia 135 NA NA 40 E  4.0
Chad 136 37 2.5 14 E  0.8
Mauritania 137 37 4.0 17 E  1.7
Papua New Guinea 138 36 1.1 14 0.5
Fiji 139 35 2.0 28 1.6
Honduras 140 34 7.0 115 1.7
Benin 141 34 1.4 49 E  1.8
Zambia 142 31 1.0 26 0.7
Central African Republic 143 29 2.8 21 E  2.1
Lesotho 144 29 2.6 22 2.9
Malta 145 28 0.8 27 0.7
Laos 146 28 2.0 15 E  0.8
Togo 147 25 1.8 24 1.8
Nicaragua 148 24 1.2 33 1.3
Niger 149 24 1.2 34 E  1.6
Djibouti 150 23 4.4 23 E  3.8
Swaziland 151 21 1.8 NA NA
Sierra Leone 152 20 3.1 18 E  2.2
Equatorial Guinea 153 19 3.3 5 0.2
Mongolia 154 18 2.1 25 2.2
Suriname 155 14 1.8 9 E  5.0
Barbados 156 12 0.5 13 0.5
Belize 157 11 1.6 19 2.3
Malawi 158 10 5.6 13 0.7
Mauritius 159 9 0.2 8 0.1
Liberia 160 6 1.3 25 E  4.5
Guinea-Bissau 161 6 2.9 4 1.6
Cape Verde 162 5 0.9 9 3.2
Guyana 163 5 0.8 5 0.7
The Gambia 164 5 1.3 3 1.0
Sao Tome & Principe 165 0 0.0 NA NA
Iceland 166 0 0.0 0 0.0
Bahamas 167 NA NA 26 0.5
Seychelles 168 NA NA 12 1.7
Antigua 169 NA NA 4 0.6
Grand Total    844,665    889,170   

* These figures are based on purchasing power parity (PPP) estimates. PPPs measure the relative purchasing power of different currencies over equivalent goods and services. This method better accounts for the substantial differences in relative prices for defense goods.

E These figures were estimated by IISS and not based on reported data from the individual country.

Table 2. U.S. and Foreign Defense Spending (by Country): Data from the IISS and U.S. Department of State
(current year U.S. dollars in millions)

Country  Rank  WMEAT
1999-2000		 IISS Military Balance
2003-2004
Defense Expenditures
(1999 Data)		 % GDP Defense Expenditures
(2002 Data)		 % GDP
Afghanistan 72 NA NA NA NA
Albania 122 72 1.3 113 2.5
Algeria 52 1,830 4.0 3,100 5.9
Angola 41 2,460 21.2 1,000 E  9.8
Antigua and Barbuda 169 NA NA 4 0.6
Argentina 29 4,300 1.6 1,500 1.4
Armenia 80 570 5.8 650* 6.4
Australia 18 7,060 1.8 8,000 2.0
Austria 55 1,690 0.8 1,800 0.8
Azerbaijan 69 927 6.6 900* 3.3
Bahamas 167 NA NA 26 0.5
Bahrain 86 415 8.0 331 4.0
Bangladesh 78 624 1.3 675 1.4
Barbados 156 12 0.5 13 0.5
Belarus 70 925 1.3 2,000* 2.5
Belgium 31 3,600 1.4 3,600 1.3
Belize 157 11 1.6 19 2.3
Benin 141 34 1.4 49 E  1.8
Bolivia 103 148 1.8 125 1.6
Bosnia-Hercegovina 94 276 4.4 189 3.8
Botswana 98 222 4.7 269 E  4.5
Brazil 14 9,920 1.9 10,200 2.3
Brunei 92 295 4.0 267 5.2
Bulgaria 62 1,240 3.0 400 2.5
Burkina Faso 134 42 1.6 43 E  1.5
Burundi 130 49 7.0 40 E  5.9
Cambodia 89 332 4.0 92 2.5
Cameroon 104 148 1.8 129 1.2
Canada 16 8,320 1.4 8,200 1.1
Cape Verde 162 5 0.9 9 3.2
Central African Republic 143 29 2.8 21 E  2.1
Chad 136 37 2.5 14 E  0.8
Chile 49 1,990 3.0 2,700 4.1
China - Taiwan 10 15,200 5.2 7,900 2.7
China - Mainland 2 88,900 2.2 51,000 4.1
Colombia 40 2,670 3.2 3,000 3.7
Congo 125 58 3.5 93 E  3.1
Costa Rica 123 69 0.5 94 0.6
Croatia 46 2,090 6.5 546 2.4
Cuba 77 630 1.9 1,100 3.9
Cyprus 91 309 3.4 240 2.4
Czech Republic 36 3,000 1.3 1,500 2.1
Dem. Rep. of Congo 24 5,150 14.4 1,000 E  21.7
Denmark 37 2,780 1.6 2,700 1.6
Djibouti 150 23 4.4 23 E  3.8
Dominican Republic 109 123 0.8 161 0.7
Ecuador 83 479 3.7 724 E  3.0
Egypt 43 2,390 2.7 3,300 3.9
El Salvador 112 110 0.9 164 1.2
Equatorial Guinea 153 19 3.3 5 0.2
Eritrea 99 208 27.4 106 E  16.0
Estonia 101 173 1.5 99 1.6
Ethiopia 82 533 8.8 467 E  8.0
Fiji 139 35 2.0 28 1.6
Finland 54 1,770 1.4 2,100 1.4
France 4 38,900 2.7 40,200 2.5
Gabon 114 93 2.4 79 E  1.7
Georgia 102 165 1.2 250* 1.7
Germany 7 32,600 1.6 33,300 1.5
Ghana 124 62 0.8 31 E  0.5
Greece 22 6,060 4.7 6,500 4.4
Guatemala 111 121 0.7 192 E  0.8
Guinea 127 54 1.6 61 E  1.8
Guinea-Bissau 161 6 2.9 4 1.6
Guyana 163 5 0.8 5 0.7
Haiti 129 NA NA 32 E  1.0
Honduras 140 34 7.0 115 1.7
Hungary 51 1,880 1.7 1,000 1.8
Iceland 166 0 0.0 0 0.0
India 12 11,300 2.5 13,800 2.7
Indonesia 59 1,450 1.1 6,600 E  3.7
Iran 20 6,880 2.9 5,100 4.6
Iraq 61 1,250 5.5 NA NA
Ireland 71 779 1.0 759 0.6
Israel 15 8,700 8.8 9,900 9.7
Italy 8 23,700 2.0 25,600 1.9
Ivory Coast 119 82 0.8 144 E  1.4
Jamaica 128 51 0.8 37 0.5
Japan 3 43,200 1.0 39,500 1.0
Jordan 74 725 9.2 893 9.3
Kazakhstan 75 671 0.9 2,100* 2.0
Kenya 100 200 1.9 368 E  3.2
Kuwait 39 2,690 7.7 3,500 10.7
Kyrgyzstan 93 285 2.4 280* 1.9
Laos 146 28 2.0 15 E  0.8
Latvia 105 144 1.0 149 1.8
Lebanon 76 653 3.9 536 3.2
Lesotho 144 29 2.6 22 2.9
Liberia 160 6 1.3 25 E  4.5
Libya 48 NA NA 562 3.8
Lithuania 90 314 1.3 247 1.8
Luxembourg 106 141 0.8 204 0.9
Macedonia 97 228 2.5 101 E  2.7
Madagascar 131 45 1.2 48 E  1.0
Malawi 158 10 5.6 13 0.7
Malaysia 56 1,660 2.3 3,400 E  3.6
Mali 126 58 2.3 72 2.3
Malta 145 28 0.8 27 0.7
Mauritania 137 37 4.0 17 E  1.7
Mauritius 159 9 0.2 8 0.1
Mexico 38 2,700 0.5 5,600 0.9
Moldova 133 43 0.5 160 E  1.7
Mongolia 154 18 2.1 25 2.2
Morocco 58 1,450 4.3 1,400 3.6
Mozambique 113 94 2.5 80 E  2.0
Myanmar 26 4,650 7.8 3,000 E* 5.0
Namibia 116 91 2.9 83 2.8
Nepal 132 44 0.9 105 1.9
Netherlands 19 7,030 1.8 7,700 1.6
New Zealand 79 587 1.2 667 1.2
Nicaragua 148 24 1.2 33 1.3
Niger 149 24 1.2 34 E  1.6
Nigeria 57 1,560 1.6 511 E  1.2
North Korea 30 4,260 18.8 5,000 E  25.0
Norway 35 3,310 2.2 3,600 1.9
Oman 53 1,780 15.3 2,700 13.4
Pakistan 32 3,520 5.9 2,700 3.9
Panama 108 124 1.4 138 E  1.3
Papua New Guinea 138 36 1.1 14 0.5
Paraguay 118 84 1.1 57 1.0
Peru 63 1,200 2.4 914 1.6
Philippines 64 1,110 1.4 1,600 2.1
Poland 21 6,690 2.1 3,600 1.9
Portugal 42 2,410 2.2 1,700 2.3
Qatar 65 1,060 10.0 1,900 E  10.6
Romania 44 2,190 1.6 1,100 2.3
Russia 6 35,000 5.6 50,800 4.8
Rwanda 117 87 4.4 72 E  4.1
Sao Tome and Principe 165 0 0.0 NA NA
Saudi Arabia 9 21,200 14.9 22,200 12.0
Senegal 120 81 1.7 69 1.3
Serbia/Montenegro 66 1,030 5.0 746 E  5.3
Seychelles 168 NA NA 12 1.7
Sierra Leone 152 20 3.1 18 E  2.2
Singapore 28 4,400 4.8 4,600 5.2
Slovakia 67 1,010 1.8 464 2.0
Slovenia 84 436 1.4 329 1.5
Somalia 135 NA NA 40 E  4.0
South Korea 11 11,600 2.9 13,300 2.8
South Africa 50 1,960 1.5 1,800 1.7
Spain 17 7,560 1.3 8,700 1.2
Sri Lanka 73 729 4.7 533 3.2
Sudan 85 424 4.8 665 E  4.9
Suriname 155 14 1.8 9 E  5.0
Swaziland 151 21 1.8 NA NA
Sweden 23 5,330 2.3 4,200 1.7
Switzerland 33 3,400 1.2 3,000 1.1
Syria 27 4,450 7.0 1,900 E  10.3
Tajikistan 121 80 1.3 130* 1.7
Tanzania 110 122 1.4 135 E  1.5
Thailand 47 2,040 1.7 1,800 1.5
The Gambia 164 5 1.3 3 1.0
Togo 147 25 1.8 24 1.8
Trinidad and Tobago 115 92 1.4 67 0.7
Tunisia 88 357 1.8 404 1.8
Turkey 13 9,950 5.3 9,200 5.1
Turkmenistan 81 542 3.4 300* 0.8
Uganda 107 140 2.3 167 E  2.7
Ukraine 25 5,110 3.0 5,000 2.2
United Kingdom 5 36,500 2.5 37,300 2.4
United Arab Emirates 45 2,180 4.1 2,800 E  4.0
United States 1 281,000 3.0 348,500 3.3
Uruguay 95 275 1.3 224 1.8
Uzbekistan 68 933 1.7 1,900* 2.9
Venezuela 60 1,420 1.4 1,100 1.3
Vietnam 34 NA NA 2,400 7.1
Yemen 87 374 6.0 515 E  5.7
Zambia 142 31 1.0 26 0.7
Zimbabwe 96 263 5.0 674 E 3.4
Grand Total    844,665    889,170   

* These figures are based on purchasing power parity (PPP) estimates. PPPs measure the relative purchasing power of different currencies over equivalent goods and services. This method better accounts for the substantial differences in relative prices for defense goods.

E These figures were estimated by IISS and not based on reported data from the individual country.

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*Countries #2 - #10: China, Russia, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia

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*Countries #2 - #10: China, Russia, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, China-Taiwan

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*Countries #2 - #25: China, Russia, France, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea, Brazil, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Canada, Australia, China - Taiwan, Netherlands, Indonesia, Greece, Mexico, Iran, Ukraine, N. Korea

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*Countries #2 - #25: China, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, China-Taiwan, South Korea, India, Turkey, Brazil, Israel, Canada, Spain, Australia, Netherlands, Poland, Iran, Greece, Sweden, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Ukraine

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Note: The United States, with defense spending at 3.0% of GDP in 1999 according to WMEAT, would rank #50 on this chart.

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Note: The United States, with defense spending at 3.3% of GDP in 2002 according to the IISS, would rank #47 on this chart.

Table 3. NATO Defense Expenditures: Data from the IISS and U.S. Dept. of State
(current year U.S. dollars in millions)

Country  Rank 

WMEAT

1999-2000

IISS Military Balance

2003-2004

Defense Expenditures

(1999 Data)

% GDP

Defense Expenditures

(2002 Data)

% GDP

United States 1 281,000 3.0% 348,500 3.3
France 2 38,900 2.7 40,200 2.5
United Kingdom 3 36,500 2.5 37,300 2.4
Germany 4 32,600 1.6 33,300 1.5
Italy 5 23,700 2.0 25,600 1.9
Turkey 6 9,950 5.3 9,200 5.1
Canada 7 8,320 1.4 8,200 1.1
Spain 8 7,560 1.3 8,700 1.2
Netherlands 9 7,030 1.8 7,700 1.6
Poland 10 6,690 2.1 3,600 1.9
Greece 11 6,060 4.7 6,500 4.4
Belgium 12 3,600 1.4 3,600 1.3
Norway 13 3,310 2.2 3,600 1.9
Czech Republic 14 3,000 2.3 1,500 2.1
Denmark 15 2,780 1.6 2,700 1.6
Portugal 16 2,410 2.2 3,100 2.3
Hungary 17 1,880 1.7 1,000 1.8
Luxembourg 18

141

 0.8 192 0.9
Iceland 19 0 0.0 0 0.0
Grand Total    475,431    544,942   

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*Non-U.S. NATO: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Hungary, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Luxembourg, Iceland

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*Non-U.S. NATO: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Hungary, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Luxembourg, Iceland

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Footnotes

1. (back)Other common sources for foreign military budget figures include the United Nations, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (for NATO member nations), and the U.S. Department of Defense (for allied military spending).

2. (back)International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance: 2003-2004, Oxford University Press, p. 10.

3. (back)Ibid, p.11.

4. (back)Report available online at http://www.state.gov/t/vc/rls/rpt/wmeat/1999_2000/.

5. (back)According to the editors of WMEAT, this rate is almost always the IMF's "rf" rate.

6. (back)Definitions available at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/18744.pdf.

7. (back)Ibid.

8. (back)Ibid.



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