Top military budgets 2025 summary

Top military budgets 2025 summary

The top military budgets for 2025 are led by the United States, which spends far more than any other country. The top five together account for most global defense expenditures, with a notable surge in spending driven by modernization, conflicts, and geopolitical competition. Here’s a concise summary:

| Rank | Country        | 2025 Military Budget (USD B) |

|------|---------------|------------------------------|

| 1    | United States  | 962[5]                      |

| 2    | China         | 246–293[5][6]                |

| 3    | Russia        | 109–150[5][6]                |

| 4    | Germany       | 109[5]                       |

| 5    | India         | 78–79[1][5][7]               |

| 6    | United Kingdom| 81[5]                        |

| 7    | Saudi Arabia  | 78[5]                        |

| 8    | France        | 47[5]                        |

| 9    | Japan         | 55[5]                        |

| 10   | Ukraine       | 54[5]                        |

| 11   | South Korea   | 45[5]                        |

| 12   | Italy         | 44[5]                        |

| 13   | Israel        | 37[5]                        |

| 14   | Poland        | 35[5]                        |

| 15   | Australia     | 34[5]                        |

- The **U.S. budget** alone represents nearly 37% of global military spending, funding large-scale modernization, global deployments, and new domains like cyber and space[6].

- **China** continues rapid modernization and expansion, prioritizing domestic defense production and advanced technologies[6].

- **Russia**'s budget swelled due to the Ukraine conflict, focusing on artillery, drones, and nuclear deterrence[6].

- **India** increased its military budget by 9.5% to approximately $78 billion, with a strong focus on modernization and local procurement[1][7].

- **Germany, Saudi Arabia, UK, France**, and others have also raised budgets, responding to increased security risks and alliance commitments[5].

These figures reflect ongoing shifts in global defense priorities, with technology, local production, and readiness driving year-on-year increases.

Citations:

[1] India pledges record 9.5% increase in defence budget - DSEI Japan https://www.dsei-japan.com/news/india-pledges-record-95-increase-defence-budget

[2] Union Budget 2025-26: Defence Sector Highlights | EY - India https://www.ey.com/en_in/technical/alerts-hub/2025/02/budget-2025-defence-sector

[3] Rs 1.80 lakh crore allocated under Capital Budget of Armed Forces https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2098485

[4] List of countries with highest military expenditures - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_highest_military_expenditures

[5] Ranked: Top 15 Countries by Military Budgets in 2025 https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-top-15-countries-by-military-budgets-in-2025/

[6] Top 10 Defense Spenders in 2025: Statistics and Analysis https://www.sphericalinsights.com/blogs/top-10-defense-spending-countries-in-2025-statistics-and-facts-analysis-2024-to-2035

[7] India's Defence Budget 2025-26 - Delhi Policy Group https://www.delhipolicygroup.org/publication/policy-briefs/indias-defence-budget-2025-26.html

[8] Unprecedented rise in global military expenditure as European and ... https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2025/unprecedented-rise-global-military-expenditure-european-and-middle-east-spending-surges

[9] [PDF] Demand for Grants 2025-26 Analysis : Defence - PRS India https://prsindia.org/files/budget/budget_parliament/2025/DFG_Analysis_2025-26_Defence.pdf