DEFINITION
Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies
DEFINITION: Current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies
I am happy to see that the United States do not have military expenditures.
Alex (New York City) 3rd March 2009
There is a HUGE error here. The United States spends more on military than any other country by a grossly massive margin. And yet this list states China as #1, and the United States is omitted.
Heinous. Someone please fix this.
David Gealikman 15th October 2005
Another intresting fact is that the total US budget for all spending each year is 2.5 trillion (2,500 billions) it spends less than 1 quarter of 1 percent on ending global starvation (20 billion) and around 400-500 billion on wars. Justice?
Suchita Vemuri Staff Editor 6th March 2005
Hi Hans -- you're right, and we'll change this. The latest figure available in a published report (the US census for 2004, not newspaper and other reports) shows that the US military expenditure in 2003 was close to USD 400 billion. See: http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/04statab/defense.pdf.
Ian Graham Staff Editor 28th February 2005
In the fiscal year 1999, the United States spent about as much on its military as the next nine countries combined in the latest years for which figures are available. China, the second-biggest spender, spent only about 20 percent of the United States expenditures.
However, Russia and China both have more armed forces personnel than the United States. China has 2,810,000 people in its armed forces and Russia has 1,520,000. The United States is third, with 1,366,000 armed forces personnel. India is fourth, with 1,303,000 people. No other country has more than a million.
There are 19.67 million people in the armed forces worldwide. Total military spending in the top 170 countries is $741.16 billion.
United States armed forces personnel represent about 7 percent of the total worldwide, but the U.S. expenditures are 37 percent of the total.