Spending · category

National defense

The military, nuclear weapons programs, and other defense activities. In FY2025 it came to $916B, 13.1% of all federal spending (#5 of 18 categories). Adjusted for inflation, that is up 76% since FY2000.

$916B

FY2025 outlays

13.1%

of all federal spending

+4.9%

change from FY2024 ($874B)

mandatory (the rest is discretionary)

Where it goes

National defense by subcategory, FY2025. Click one for every program inside it.

Discretionary (set by yearly appropriations)

Military (Department of Defense)Pay, operations and maintenance, weapons procurement, research, and construction for the armed forces.

$868B95% Nuclear weapons & atomic energy defenseNuclear weapons, naval reactors, and defense nuclear cleanup at the Department of Energy.

$36.6B4% Defense-related activities

$11.2B1%

The biggest programs

The largest individual accounts in national defense, FY2025, across all its subcategories.

Discretionary (set by yearly appropriations)

Operation and Maintenance, NavyOperation and Maintenance

$73.3B Operation and Maintenance, Air ForceOperation and Maintenance

$63.6B Operation and Maintenance, ArmyOperation and Maintenance

$62.8B Operation and Maintenance, Defense-wideOperation and Maintenance

$61.2B Military Personnel, ArmyMilitary Personnel

$52.4B Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air ForceResearch, Development, Test, and Evaluation

$46.3B Combat and Operational Medicine ProgramOperation and Maintenance

$40.0B Military Personnel, NavyMilitary Personnel

$38.6B Military Personnel, Air ForceMilitary Personnel

$37.1B Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-wideResearch, Development, Test, and Evaluation

$36.2B Other Procurement, Air ForceProcurement

$31.1B Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, NavyResearch, Development, Test, and Evaluation

$25.7B

National defense since 1993

Outlays in 2025 dollars (adjusted for inflation), fiscal years 1993–2025. Share of all federal spending: 20.7% in FY1993, 13.1% in FY2025.

Subcategories

Subcategory	FY2025	vs FY2024	Real, since 2000	Programs
Military (Department of Defense)	$868B	+5.1%	+75%	112
Nuclear weapons & atomic energy defense	$36.6B	+4.7%	+70%	12
Defense-related activities	$11.2B	−9.5%	+427%	18

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