What is USA's military spending as a percentage of its income?

Yak Rider

About 15% of the Federal Budget.

About 4% of the country's GDP.

This is half what it was back in the 1960's.

neeno

In 2005, as a percentage of outlays 20%, as a percentage of GDP 4%.

Page 54 of source below, official government budget.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/pdf/hist.pdf

To put some perspective to this. The United States spends twice as much as China on the military yet as a function of the GNP China spends twice the percentage. Thus effectively China spends more ( by a factor of 2)of their available resources on the military.
China has a conscription military, thus personnel cost will be lower. Labor and material costs in China are much lower so the cost of equipment manufacture are lower, thus they can purchase more with less.
With the additional monies being spent on the current conflicts excluded, military spending in the United States is only increasing at around 3% annually, where as in China it is increasing at about %17 annually.

In 2005 we only spent 4% of our GDP on national defense, with the exception 0f 1995 to 2003 that is the lowest percentage since pre-World War Two 1940.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/index.html
http://www.rand.org/
http://www.iiss.org/
http://www.fas.org/man/index.html
http://www.globalfirepower.com/list_purchasingpwr.asp
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/bg1918.cfm

quarterback

Its 3.4 % of our GDP - about $550,000,000,000.

Hil E

A few "views" of military spending. Bottom Line is that actual military spending (money spent on military operations training and upkeep) in a time of war is less (in real fixed value dollars) than was spent in the peaceful 1950s.

TomT

I would think that since the military's only income is allocated by Congress, that it spends 100% of it.

milliecriollo

None. Taxes payers pay for them and The Government.

popwell56

Only I know today its well over 1 trillion dolors.Why?China and Russhia has a budget of 700 billion so America has to otsore them.

danny

good one

redhawgs

the military doesn't have an "income". We as American citizens pay taxes that fund them, along with many other Federal agencies. (FAA, CIA, FBI etc)

mk.duran

why are people questioning if the u.s. has income as if theyve never heard of the internal REVENUE service?! haha maybe not earned income but its still income, not like we can operate for free!
well heres a link to this site that has a pie chart representing the federal budget..
http://www.warresisters.org/piechart.htm
it says 50% is on military spending..
not exactly an unbiased source though(!) and I didnt notice any cited sources but it may be interesting to look at.

furrryyy

The U.S.A. has an income? Did it pay any income taxes this year?