Dawn Pamulaya
The president’s engagement-and-expansion policy places national defense at the center of the operation. The U.S. military can protect the country and its people from direct threats. They also help keep peace and stability in areas critical to U.S. interests and back up U.S. defense commitments worldwide.
With 801 billion U.S. dollars spent on the military in 2021, the United States was the country that spent the most on the military. This article covered the U.S. military budget and spending for the year 2022.
Table of Contents
The United States defense military
The largest federal agency in the United States is the Department of Defense (DoD). The Department of Defense, which can trace its origins back to pre-revolutionary periods, has developed and changed along with the country.
The primary purpose of establishing the U.S. military is to prevent war and ensure the safety of the citizens on its territory. U.S. defense military also has five branches, these are:
Army – The Army is the oldest branch of the military, founded in 1775. The Army has more active service members than any other branch and focuses on ground-based strategies. The Army has three parts:
- U.S. Army – Active Duty
- U.S. Army Reserve
- Army National Guard
The Army trains specifically for different kinds of combat situations on land. They also have bases in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and its headquarters in the United States.
The Army’s primary job is to protect all of the United States’ land, including its territories, commonwealths, and possessions. U.S. Army works by sending troops and giving them the tools they need to keep fighting and keep the peace on land. The Army also helps other branches with things like logistics and support.
Air Force – After World War II, the Air Force became a separate military branch. They are dedicated to keeping global awareness, reach, and power.
The U.S. Air Force’s planes help the Navy guard the seas and watch illegal fishing, drugs, pirates, and terrorists. They also help their army colleagues by providing necessary types of equipment.
Air Force is also known as the Defenders of the Skies. They still hold the dominant position in the skies today with the help of improvements in science and technology. It allows them to travel and investigate farther in the air, into space, and across cyberspace.
Coast Guards – In 1915, Congress passed a law that decided to make the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard encompasses the following services:
- U.S. Lighthouse Service
- Revenue Cutter Service
- Steamboat Inspection Service
- Bureau of Navigation U.S
- Lifesaving Service
It was first in charge of the Department of the Treasury, but an executive order moved it to the Department of Transportation.
Today, when there is peace, the Coast Guard works for the Department of Homeland Security. On the other hand, it works for the Navy when there is war. The Coast Guard is also in charge of search and rescue, dealing with drugs and illegal immigrants, and keeping the law in coastal waters.
Marine Corps – The Marines is a ground-force branch of the Navy. They are the second-smallest military branch, after the Coast Guard.
At first, the Navy used the Marines to take over beaches until 1798, when it became its official military branch. Even though the Marine Corps has its aviation unit, most of the support for the Marines still comes from the Navy.
With the ability to calm or contain an international disturbance, the Marine Corps has a wide range of capabilities available to it in the event of a crisis. It is possible to overwhelm an enemy with the fast response capabilities of the Marine Corps.
Navy – General George Washington established the Navy in 1775. The Navy protects the national interests, reaching the deepest corners of the ocean and conquering all of its waterways.
Combat-ready maritime forces are maintained, trained, and equipped by the Navy to win wars, deter aggression, and protect the freedoms of the seas. The Navy is a forward-deployed military force of the United States as a deterrent to attack.
What percentage of the U.S. budget goes to the military?
Spending on defense accounts for more than a tenth of the federal budget and nearly half of discretionary spending. The annual federal budget is just roughly one-third of the total discretionary spending, including defense and non-defense spending.
The U.S. federal budget process determines how many percent of the budget must allocate to a particular government department or project. According to the 61st NDAA bicameral agreement, the U.S. will spend $777.7 billion on the national defense budget in the fiscal year 2022.
As a percentage of the federal budget, military spending accounts for the most significant portion. The majority of this federal spending is devoted to military-related expenditures.
The defense budget pays for all of these factors:
- Salary
- Training facilities and types of equipment
- Health care for military
- Maintenance of weapons
- Development and purchase of new products
- Routine military activities
- Nuclear weapons program
- Military aid to foreign countries
This year’s federal budget includes funding for all five U.S. military branches. Spending on the military directly generates employment and stimulates the economy.
Ten leading countries with the highest military budget in 2022
In this list, we include the spending on the military by country and the largest armies in the world in 2022, ranked by the number of active military personnel.
The United States
Military budget: $778 billion
Active military size: 1,390,000
The 50 states of the United States of America, including Alaska and Hawaii, extend the country’s northern and southern borders into the Pacific Ocean. The United States Armed Forces are acknowledged as the most formidable force globally.
The Department of Defense (DoD) serves as an executive branch department of the U.S. federal government. The DoD coordinates and supervises all federal departments and responsibilities directly linked to national security and military operations.
China
Military budget: Estimated $252 billion
Active military size: 2,000,000
As of 2022, China possessed the world’s most significant active military force, with almost 2 million active soldiers. A total of more than a million active military personnel from each of these countries rounded out the top five largest militaries in the world.
With the help of the Constitution, the National Defense Law, and other applicable laws, China has developed and improved its national defense system. The state as a whole oversees defense-related activities. The National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China is the highest governmental body in the country.
India
Military budget: $72.9 billion
Active military size: 1,450,00
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) of the Government of India manages the Indian Armed Forces. It boasts the second-biggest military force globally, with more than 1.4 million active soldiers and the world’s largest volunteer army. Moreover, it possesses the world’s third-largest budget for national defense.
This elite group of Indian soldiers is known as MARCOS (Marine Commandos). Despite their training to fight on any terrain, MARCOS commandos are masters in sea combat.
Russia
Military budget: $61.7 billion
Active military size: 850,000
Russian armed forces have three distinct branches: the Russian Ground Forces, Russian Naval Forces, and Russian Aerospace Forces. Strategic Missile Troops and Russian Airborne Troops are two other different service branches.
With 900,000 current people and an additional two million reservists, Russia has the fifth largest standing army globally. After the United States military, the Russian army is the second most significant competitor globally.
The United Kingdom
Military budget: $59.2 billion
Active military size: 194,000
Britain’s Armed Forces, or Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, are responsible for protecting the country and its overseas territories and Crown Dependencies.
Military operations by the British Army take place around the world. Peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, counterterrorism, and the fight against international drug trafficking are all part of our mission.
Saudi Arabia
Military budget: Estimated $57.5 billion
Active military size: 225,000
In 2021, Saudi Arabia was the sixth country that spent the most on defense, after the U.S., China, India, Russia, and the U.K. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says that nearly 80% of Saudi Arabia’s weapons come from the United States.
Currently, Saudi Arabia has the most potent air force in the Middle East, according to Cirium fleets data in FlightGlobal’s World Air Forces directory 2022, with 897 aircraft in service.
Germany
Military budget: $52.8 billion
Active military size: 183,638
Germany is one of Europe’s largest countries and is home to diverse landscapes and ecosystems.
With 183,638 active-duty members and 81,000 civilians, the Bundeswehr is among the world’s 30 most significant military forces and is second only to France in terms of European Union military strength. The armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany are called the Bundeswehr.
France
Military budget: 52.7 billion
Active military size: 205,000
The French Armed Forces have three classifications: the Army, Navy, Air, and Space Force. The French Armed Forces also have a fourth military branch, the National Gendarmerie, and the three main service branches.
President Francois Hollande is France’s Chief of the Armed Forces and heads the country’s armed forces. France is well-positioned to defend its citizens and interests with a defense budget that ranks sixth globally and first inside the European Union.
Japan
Military budget: $49.1 billion
Active military size: 240,000
Japan, which resides in the northwest Pacific Ocean, is the largest island in East Asia. Japan is not supposed to allow to have an army by law, but it does.
According to the Global Firepower rating site, Japan is now placed fifth globally in terms of overall military power behind the United States; its defense expenditure ranks sixth in the rankings of 140 countries in 2021.
South Korea
Military budget: $45.7 billion
Active military size: 555,000
South Korea is a well-known East Asian country on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula because of its rich culture. Its border with North Korea is one of the most heavily armed globally. It is very safe to travel to South Korea. Its crime rates are about the same as those in most of Europe, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. They are much lower than those in the U.S.
The Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces is the official name of South Korea’s military forces. The ROK Armed Forces are among the most prominent and strongest standing armies across Asia and globally.
Defense budgeting for F.Y. 2022
A big part of the nation’s defense budget goes to the Department of Defense. DoD coordinates and supervises all government agencies and functions on national security and the Armed Forces.
By 2022, the White House has requested $715 billion for the DoD budget. The defense department budget covers the defense spending base budget. It also encompasses expenditure on the modernization of ships and aircraft.
President Joe Biden approved a $777.7 billion budget request for the U.S. military into law. It was his first act as president, and it came after Congress passed the bill by a large majority despite protests from progressives and anti-war groups who wanted to cut military spending.
Each year, the NDAA authorizes funding levels and gives authority to the U.S. military and other essential defense priorities. As a result of proper handling of the budget, we can rest assured that our troops are well-prepared for any assignment they may face.
For this year, the agreement will address the national security issues for the United States. These include strategic competition with China and Russia, disruptive technologies like hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, 5G, quantum computing, and modernizing ships, aircraft, and vehicles.
U.S. military budget compared with other countries
Over a year, the United States spends more on national defense than all other countries. Even though there are no permanent foreign bases in the United States, there are around 800 American bases in other countries.
Almost one-third of all federal spending and half of all discretionary spending goes to the military. About one-third of all federal spending goes to defense and other discretionary spending that is not for security each year.
Expenditures for the military budget limitations
The military budget pays for the salaries, training, and health care of military and civilian workers. There is also a designated budget for arms, equipment, and building maintenance for military operations.
However, the military budget has limitations. Things related to the military that aren’t in the Defense Department’s budget, like research and production of nuclear weapons in the Atomic Energy Defense Activities section, payments to military retirees and their families from Veterans Affairs, or interest on the debt from the last war, aren’t included.
It also excludes domestic defense spending, such as that of the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s counterterrorism efforts, and the National Security Agency’s efforts to gather intelligence, even though all of these programs contain elements of weapons, military, and security.
Sources of the U.S. military budget
The U.S. military budget came from the annual funding for the Department of Defense and other defense organizations. The military budget also emerges from the part of the discretionary federal budget.
U.S. federal budget came from the following:
- Personal income tax – Individual income tax or personal income tax is a tax on a person’s wages, salaries, and other income throughout the year.
- Most states and the federal government in the U.S. collect income taxes. Taxable income increases when a person’s income increases.
- Corporate income tax – The federal and state governments charge a corporate income tax (CIT) on a business’s profits. However, some companies don’t pay their tax, called pass-through taxation. Instead, the companies pay taxes through the owner’s tax return.
- Social security tax – These taxes pay for Social Security and the hospital insurance part of Medicare. There are also contributions from federal workers’ pensions and payroll taxes for the railroad retirement system and the unemployment insurance program.
Summary of the United States’ defense spending plans
China and the United States are the two most remarkable countries in military strength. On the other hand, 39 countries and territories do not have armed forces based on CIA.gov.
Mandatory military duty is standard in many countries. When it comes to military expenditures, the United States spends more than any other country. Other costly government programs include the $778 billion in military spending and Social Security.
Defense budgets of the world’s most powerful countries
A total of 801 billion U.S. dollars will be spent on the military by the United States in 2021, making it the most heavily-armed country in the world. That accounted for 38 percent of the world’s total military budget of 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars that year.
In terms of military spending by country as a percentage of GDP, the United States ranks below Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Russia as of 2019, with 3.4 percent of GDP going to military spending.
Government budget allocations for military operations
In 2031, defense spending is expected to rise from $596 billion to $915 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Navy and the Air Force will receive the majority of the share of government funding.
The United States is estimated to spend 392 billion U.S. dollars on nuclear weapons, 97 billion U.S. dollars on missile defenses, and 100 billion U.S. dollars on environmental and health expenditures between 2013 and 2022.
Defense budgets around the world
The global military budget has increased significantly in recent years and now stands at $1.92 trillion in 2019. In terms of military spending, North America stands head and shoulders above the rest of the globe.
The United States spent 801 billion U.S. dollars on the military in 2021, which put it at the top of the list of countries with the most money spent on the military. That was 38% of all the money spent on the military worldwide that year, which came to 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars.
Overseas contingency operations of the U.S.
Requests for Overseas Contingency Operations would no longer be a separate funding category. Instead, the DOD base budget would pay for military conflict costs and long-term operations. DOD budget documents released in May 2021 asked for $42.1 billion for “contingency operations” activities.
These activities include funding for the planned drawdown of U.S. forces in other countries and other military activities overseas and activities in the continental United States.
