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In 2025, the United States spent around * billion U.S. dollars on its military. This was the first drop in roughly a decade. Spending had climbed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and by 2026 America had provided about **** billion U.S. dollars in military aid to Ukraine. Those headline figures, however, capture only part of what counts as defense spending.

The full cost of defense

U.S. military spending is broader than the Defense budget alone. It includes the Pentagon’s core activities, such as personnel, operations, procurement, and research and development, as well as nuclear-weapons programs run by the Department of Energy. These programs have military purposes, even though they’re funded outside the Pentagon. Some defense-related spending by other federal agencies is counted too, offering a fuller view of the resources devoted to U.S. military needs.

Spending with public permission

Scale is the defining feature of America’s defense budget. The United States spends more on its military than any other country. Public attitudes may help explain why such large budgets can persist. Compared with other institutions, the military tends to command relatively high levels of confidence, and a sizeable minority would support higher spending.Ìý For policymakers, that trust can make military spending easier to defend, even when overall budgets are under pressure.