National Defense

FY2025 Spending

$1.4T

Rank

#3 of 18

Growth Since 2017

+52.1%

Spending Over Time: FY2017 → FY2025

Year-over-Year Spending

Fiscal Year	Amount	Change
FY2017	$931,355,381,711	—
FY2019	$1,060,561,779,405	+13.9%
FY2021	$1,117,832,172,120	+5.4%
FY2023	$1,297,012,666,574	+16.0%
FY2025	$1,416,433,029,076	+9.2%

What This Covers

National Defense encompasses the Department of Defense, nuclear weapons programs, and defense-related activities. Spending includes military personnel, operations & maintenance, procurement, and research & development across all service branches.

How This Category Ranks

#1Medicare

$1.8T

#2Social Security

$1.7T

#3National Defense

$1.4T

#4Net Interest

$1.3T

#5Health

$1.1T

#6Income Security

$759.0B

#7General Government

$511.4B

#8Veterans Benefits and Services

$413.3B

#9Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services

$221.5B

#10Transportation

$197.8B

#11Natural Resources and Environment

$133.4B

#12Administration of Justice

$115.4B

#13Community and Regional Development

$106.5B

#14Commerce and Housing Credit

$95.9B

#15Agriculture

$73.4B

#16International Affairs

$71.6B

#17Energy

$63.2B

#18General Science, Space, and Technology

$47.6B

All Budget Functions

Compare all federal budget functions by spending.

Spending Explosion

How federal spending has grown dramatically since 2017.

Your Tax Bill

See exactly where your federal tax dollars go.

Interest Time Bomb

The growing cost of servicing the national debt.

Source: USASpending.gov · U.S. Department of the Treasury