Politics
Ranked: America’s Most Searched and Visited News Sites by State
Ranked: America’s Most Searched News Sites by State
America is known to have significant distinctions at the state-by-state level, and data suggests this trend extends to popular news sources. To learn more, this infographic from SEMRush ranks U.S. news websites by search volume and popularity across U.S. states.
Here’s how the top 15 news sites compare when ranked by monthly visitors, as well as the number of states the news source is most searched for in:
News Site | Monthly Visitors | State Search Popularity | Top Metro Area | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yahoo! News | 175 million | 12 | Eureka, California (CA) |
2 | Google News | 150 million | 3 | Eureka, California (CA) |
3 | Huff Post | 110 million | 1 | Eureka, California (CA) |
4 | CNN | 95 million | 7 | Bend, Oregon (OR) |
5 | The New York Times | 70 million | 1 | Charlottesville, Virginia (VA) |
6 | Fox News | 65 million | 11 | Glendive, Montana (MT) |
7 | NBC News | 63 million | 3 | Charlottesville, Virginia (VA) |
8 | MailOnline | 53 million | 1 | West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce, Florida (FL) |
9 | The Washington Post | 47 million | 1 | Washington, DC and Hagerstown, Maryland (MD) |
10 | The Guardian | 42 million | 1 | Juneau, Alaska (AK) |
11 | The Wall Street Journal | 40 million | 1 | Charlottesville, Virginia (VA) |
12 | ABC News | 36 million | 5 | Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri (MO) |
13 | BBC News | 35 million | 2 | Eureka, California (CA) |
14 | USA Today | 34 million | 10 | Wausau and Rhinelander, Wisconsin (WI) |
15 | Los Angeles Times | 32 million | 1 | Palm Springs, California (CA) |
Political affiliation plays a large role in determining each state’s favored news sites. Blue states lean towards Google News and CNN, while red states overwhelmingly choose Fox News.
The Most Popular News Sites
Yahoo News is the most popular news website in America, bringing in a massive 175 million monthly visitors. In addition, they’re the most searched for news site in 12 states—the highest of any website. The company’s history has been a roller coaster ride and at different times Yahoo intended to acquire Google and Facebook. Both companies went on to be worth over $1 trillion each, while Yahoo shrank some 90% from when it was once worth $125 billion.
The New York Times has 60 million monthly visitors, but in recent years, has pivoted towards the coveted and trending paid subscription model. This decision is paying off well, as the site now has 6.1 million paid subscribers—more than any of its competitors. Consequently, the New York Times’ share price hit a record high in December 2020.
HuffPost, and their audience of 110 million, were bought by BuzzFeed from Verizon in November of 2020. The two organizations have some history together, as BuzzFeed co-founder Jonah Peretti was also one of the early founders of HuffPost.
CNN is seeing a fall in ratings ever since Donald Trump left office. By some measures has witnessed a 36% decline in primetime viewers in the new year.
Google News experiences 125 million visitors a month, ranking second overall. That said, they stand tall relative to their competitors by overall visits to their main site. Here, Google hits 92.5 billion monthly visits, while Yahoo experiences a more modest 3.8 billion. Unlike legacy media news companies, Google has managed to increase their market share of U.S. advertising revenues, due to more ads going digital.
The Modern News Landscape
Overall, the modern news industry has been a tough landscape to operate in. Here are some of the reasons why:
First, the internet has removed barriers to where people obtain information, and revenue streams have been disrupted in the process. The advertising business model of news organizations is cutthroat to compete in, and there has been plenty of consolidation and layoffs.
Lastly, trust in traditional news and media organizations has been declining amongst Americans, from nearly 60% to 46% since 2019.
Year | A lot of Trust (%) | Some Trust (%) | Very Little/ No Trust (%) |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | 35 | 37 | 27 |
1996 | 36 | 39 | 24 |
1998 | 34 | 40 | 25 |
2000 | 36 | 40 | 23 |
2002 | 35 | 43 | 21 |
2004 | 30 | 40 | 29 |
2006 | 31 | 40 | 28 |
2008 | 24 | 43 | 31 |
2010 | 22 | 41 | 36 |
2012 | 21 | 39 | 38 |
2014 | 18 | 42 | 39 |
2016 | 21 | 38 | 40 |
2018 | 20 | 34 | 45 |
2020 | 18 | 33 | 49 |
To add to this, on a global basis, the U.S. ranks well below most major countries based on trust in news media.
Some organizations like The Washington Post and The New York Times have opted out of the advertising model, moving towards the direction of premium subscriptions. But only 20% of the Americans pay for their news, which could lead to stiff competition down the road.
The Future Of News
There are serious concerns about the future of news in the era of spreading misinformation. Up to 43% of Americans say the media are doing a very “poor/poor job” in supporting democracy. But despite this waning trust, 84% of Americans view news media as “critical” or “very important”.
What will the future of media look like throughout the 21st century and how will this impact the most popular news sites of today?
Maps
Interactive: Comparing Military Spend Around the World
Which countries have the highest military spend relative to their economy? This visual breaks down the amount spent in each country by GDP.

Comparing Military Spend Around the World
One of the easiest ways to identify a nation’s priorities is by tracking its expenditures, and military spend is no different.
Usually spending is measured, and ranked, in absolute amounts. For example, countries around the world collectively spent $2.1 trillion on their militaries in 2021, with the most coming from the U.S. ($800 billion), China ($293 billion), and India ($77 billion).
But these eye-popping figures are best understood in the context of each country’s economy. Using data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Varun Jain has visualized 158 countries’ military expenditures, both as a percentage of their total GDP as well as in average per-capita spend.
Countries’ Military Spend as a Percentage of their Economy
To begin, Jain identified three categories of military expenditure as a percent of GDP, using the five-year (2018‒2022) average for more consistent data:
Military Spend | % of GDP | Countries |
---|---|---|
High | Above 5% | 7 |
Medium | 2‒5% | 44 |
Low | Below 2% | 107 |
Under this categorization, the stand outs are the countries spending an outsized amount of their economic output on military, rather than the highest total spenders in absolute terms.
At the top of the table is Ukraine, which has earmarked a staggering average of 9.46% of its total economic output on defense over the past five years. That’s well ahead of second-place Saudi Arabia, which is slightly above 8%.
In Ukraine’s case, its high ranking shows how quickly priorities can change. From 2018 to 2021, the country spent 3.2-3.8% of its GDP on its military, but the outbreak of war with Russia saw its expenditures jump to one-third of economic output.
Other countries from the Middle East and North Africa follow in this tier, with Oman third at 8.11% and Qatar fourth with 5.88%. Rounding out the top seven high spenders are Algeria, Kuwait, and Israel.
Rank | Country | Military Spend | % of GDP |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | High | 9.46% |
2 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | High | 8.19% |
3 | 🇴🇲 Oman | High | 8.11% |
4 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | High | 5.88% |
5 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | High | 5.70% |
6 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | High | 5.66% |
7 | 🇮🇱 Israel | High | 5.09% |
8 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | Medium | 4.81% |
9 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | Medium | 4.53% |
10 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | Medium | 4.53% |
11 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | Medium | 4.01% |
12 | 🇷🇺 Russia | Medium | 3.98% |
13 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | Medium | 3.79% |
14 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | Medium | 3.75% |
15 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | Medium | 3.72% |
16 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | Medium | 3.56% |
17 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | Medium | 3.48% |
18 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | Medium | 3.24% |
19 | 🇬🇷 Greece | Medium | 3.15% |
20 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | Medium | 3.09% |
21 | 🇧🇳 Brunei | Medium | 3.09% |
22 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | Medium | 3.05% |
23 | 🇹🇬 Togo | Medium | 3.03% |
24 | 🇲🇱 Mali | Medium | 2.90% |
25 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | Medium | 2.88% |
26 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | Medium | 2.86% |
27 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | Medium | 2.86% |
28 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | Medium | 2.76% |
29 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | Medium | 2.70% |
30 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | Medium | 2.69% |
31 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Medium | 2.69% |
32 | 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo | Medium | 2.68% |
33 | 🇹🇩 Chad | Medium | 2.66% |
34 | 🇮🇳 India | Medium | 2.58% |
35 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | Medium | 2.58% |
36 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | Medium | 2.34% |
37 | 🇮🇷 Iran | Medium | 2.32% |
38 | 🇻🇳 Viet Nam | Medium | 2.28% |
39 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | Medium | 2.26% |
40 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | Medium | 2.24% |
41 | 🇳🇪 Niger | Medium | 2.21% |
42 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | Medium | 2.21% |
43 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | Medium | 2.19% |
44 | 🇵🇱 Poland | Medium | 2.17% |
45 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | Medium | 2.14% |
46 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | Medium | 2.13% |
47 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | Medium | 2.13% |
48 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Medium | 2.12% |
49 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | Medium | 2.11% |
50 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | Medium | 2.06% |
51 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | Medium | 2.02% |
52 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | Low | 1.97% |
53 | 🇦🇺 Australia | Low | 1.93% |
54 | 🇨🇱 Chile | Low | 1.92% |
55 | 🇫🇷 France | Low | 1.91% |
56 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | Low | 1.90% |
57 | 🇷🇴 Romania | Low | 1.87% |
58 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | Low | 1.85% |
59 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | Low | 1.82% |
60 | 🇳🇴 Norway | Low | 1.81% |
61 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | Low | 1.78% |
62 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | Low | 1.77% |
63 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Low | 1.77% |
64 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Low | 1.76% |
65 | 🇨🇳 China | Low | 1.72% |
66 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | Low | 1.71% |
67 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | Low | 1.67% |
68 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | Low | 1.65% |
69 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | Low | 1.62% |
70 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | Low | 1.61% |
71 | 🇫🇮 Finland | Low | 1.60% |
72 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | Low | 1.58% |
73 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | Low | 1.56% |
74 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | Low | 1.56% |
75 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | Low | 1.56% |
76 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | Low | 1.56% |
77 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | Low | 1.54% |
78 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | Low | 1.54% |
79 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | Low | 1.49% |
80 | 🇦🇴 Angola | Low | 1.48% |
81 | 🇮🇹 Italy | Low | 1.48% |
82 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | Low | 1.48% |
83 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | Low | 1.46% |
84 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | Low | 1.43% |
85 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Low | 1.41% |
86 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | Low | 1.39% |
87 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | Low | 1.39% |
88 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | Low | 1.36% |
89 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | Low | 1.36% |
90 | 🇦🇱 Albania | Low | 1.34% |
91 | 🇪🇸 Spain | Low | 1.34% |
92 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | Low | 1.33% |
93 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | Low | 1.33% |
94 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | Low | 1.32% |
95 | 🇨🇦 Canada | Low | 1.32% |
96 | 🇩🇪 Germany | Low | 1.31% |
97 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | Low | 1.30% |
98 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | Low | 1.29% |
99 | 🇧🇿 Belize | Low | 1.28% |
100 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | Low | 1.28% |
101 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | Low | 1.26% |
102 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | Low | 1.25% |
103 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | Low | 1.24% |
104 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | Low | 1.22% |
105 | 🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | Low | 1.22% |
106 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | Low | 1.20% |
107 | 🇵🇪 Peru | Low | 1.20% |
108 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | Low | 1.18% |
109 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | Low | 1.17% |
110 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | Low | 1.13% |
111 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | Low | 1.10% |
112 | 🇹🇱 Timor Leste | Low | 1.08% |
113 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | Low | 1.05% |
114 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | Low | 1.04% |
115 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | Low | 1.03% |
116 | 🇯🇵 Japan | Low | 1.03% |
117 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | Low | 1.02% |
118 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | Low | 1.00% |
119 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Low | 0.98% |
120 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | Low | 0.96% |
121 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | Low | 0.95% |
122 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | Low | 0.95% |
123 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Low | 0.94% |
124 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | Low | 0.92% |
125 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Low | 0.84% |
126 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | Low | 0.83% |
127 | 🇦🇹 Austria | Low | 0.78% |
128 | 🇬🇲 Gambia | Low | 0.76% |
129 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | Low | 0.75% |
130 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Low | 0.74% |
131 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Low | 0.73% |
132 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | Low | 0.71% |
133 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | Low | 0.70% |
134 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | Low | 0.69% |
135 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | Low | 0.68% |
136 | 🇨🇩 Dem. Rep. of Congo | Low | 0.64% |
137 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Low | 0.64% |
138 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | Low | 0.64% |
139 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | Low | 0.64% |
140 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | Low | 0.63% |
141 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | Low | 0.61% |
142 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | Low | 0.61% |
143 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | Low | 0.60% |
144 | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | Low | 0.54% |
145 | 🇧🇯 Benin | Low | 0.54% |
146 | 🇲🇹 Malta | Low | 0.48% |
147 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | Low | 0.45% |
148 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | Low | 0.43% |
149 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | Low | 0.38% |
150 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | Low | 0.36% |
151 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | Low | 0.27% |
152 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | Low | 0.26% |
153 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | Low | 0.20% |
154 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | Low | 0.17% |
155 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | Low | 0.16% |
156 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | Low | 0.00% |
157 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | Low | 0.00% |
158 | 🇵🇦 Panama | Low | 0.00% |
The medium group consists of 44 countries and is led by four nations (Jordan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Lebanon) that all spend more than 4% of their GDP on their militaries. Other familiar countries known to have large military budgets, like Russia, Pakistan, the U.S., India and the UK, are also in this category.
The low spend group has a total of 107 countries, but also contains some surprises. For example, China, France, and Germany—all in the top 10 countries by absolute military spend—actually have similar amounts of military spend as a percent of GDP as Georgia, Cyprus, and North Macedonia respectively.
At the bottom of the table are countries with either low military importance, or strange technicalities. For example, Mauritius is one of the countries with the lowest military budgets because it doesn’t officially have a standing military, instead relying on two paramilitary forces (a special mobile force and a Coast Guard).
Similarly, Iceland allocates 0% of its GDP towards military spending. In place of a standing army, the country maintains a specialized peacekeeping force, a substantial Coast Guard, and relies on security alliances within NATO, of which it is a member and provides financial support to.
Ranking Defense Spending Per Capita
While the measure above equalizes military spend on economic strength, per-capita military spending shows how much countries allocate while accounting for population size.
On a per-capita basis (again using a five-year average), Qatar leads the ranks with a per-capita spend of $4,564, well-ahead of Israel at $2,535, and Saudi Arabia at $1,928.
Rank | Country | Per Capita Spend ($) |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | $4,564 |
2 | 🇮🇱 Israel | $2,535 |
3 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $1,928 |
4 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | $1,837 |
5 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $1,815 |
6 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $1,815 |
7 | 🇳🇴 Norway | $1,438 |
8 | 🇴🇲 Oman | $1,254 |
9 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $1,131 |
10 | 🇧🇳 Brunei | $959 |
11 | 🇬🇧 UK | $913 |
12 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $894 |
13 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $863 |
14 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | $861 |
15 | 🇫🇷 France | $811 |
16 | 🇫🇮 Finland | $801 |
17 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $765 |
18 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $694 |
19 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | $662 |
20 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $647 |
21 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $645 |
22 | 🇬🇷 Greece | $629 |
23 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $623 |
24 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $610 |
25 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | $535 |
26 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $495 |
27 | 🇮🇹 Italy | $494 |
28 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $487 |
29 | 🇷🇺 Russia | $467 |
30 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | $463 |
31 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $417 |
32 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | $405 |
33 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $399 |
34 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $398 |
35 | 🇪🇸 Spain | $395 |
36 | 🇦🇹 Austria | $393 |
37 | 🇵🇱 Poland | $359 |
38 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | $354 |
39 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | $334 |
40 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | $334 |
41 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | $302 |
42 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $302 |
43 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | $294 |
44 | 🇨🇱 Chile | $292 |
45 | 🇷🇴 Romania | $258 |
46 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | $248 |
47 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | $235 |
48 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | $230 |
49 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | $226 |
50 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | $219 |
51 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | $217 |
52 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | $215 |
53 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | $207 |
54 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | $199 |
55 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | $197 |
56 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | $194 |
57 | 🇨🇳 China | $183 |
58 | 🇲🇹 Malta | $175 |
59 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $175 |
60 | 🇮🇷 Iran | $169 |
61 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | $159 |
62 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | $145 |
63 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | $138 |
64 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | $137 |
65 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | $133 |
66 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | $131 |
67 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | $124 |
68 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | $122 |
69 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | $112 |
70 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $109 |
71 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $107 |
72 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $97 |
73 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | $92 |
74 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | $91 |
75 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | $83 |
76 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | $83 |
77 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | $82 |
78 | 🇵🇪 Peru | $81 |
79 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | $80 |
80 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | $80 |
81 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | $77 |
82 | 🇦🇱 Albania | $76 |
83 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | $72 |
84 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | $69 |
85 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | $66 |
86 | 🇧🇿 Belize | $60 |
87 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $59 |
88 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | $58 |
89 | 🇻🇳 Viet Nam | $58 |
90 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | $56 |
91 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | $54 |
92 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | $54 |
93 | 🇮🇳 India | $53 |
94 | 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo | $53 |
95 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | $52 |
96 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | $51 |
97 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $49 |
98 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | $44 |
99 | 🇦🇴 Angola | $43 |
100 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | $42 |
101 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | $42 |
102 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | $42 |
103 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $41 |
104 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | $36 |
105 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | $35 |
106 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $33 |
107 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | $33 |
108 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $31 |
109 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | $27 |
110 | 🇹🇱 Timor Leste | $27 |
111 | 🇲🇱 Mali | $26 |
112 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | $24 |
113 | 🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | $23 |
114 | 🇹🇬 Togo | $21 |
115 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | $21 |
116 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | $20 |
117 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | $20 |
118 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | $19 |
119 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | $19 |
120 | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | $19 |
121 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | $19 |
122 | 🇹🇩 Chad | $18 |
123 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | $18 |
124 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | $18 |
125 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | $18 |
126 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | $17 |
127 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | $16 |
128 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | $16 |
129 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | $16 |
130 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | $15 |
131 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $14 |
132 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | $12 |
133 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | $12 |
134 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | $12 |
135 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | $11 |
136 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | $11 |
137 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | $11 |
138 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | $10 |
139 | 🇳🇪 Niger | $10 |
140 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | $9 |
141 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | $8 |
142 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | $8 |
143 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | $8 |
144 | 🇧🇯 Benin | $7 |
145 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | $7 |
146 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | $6 |
147 | 🇬🇲 Gambia | $6 |
148 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | $5 |
149 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | $5 |
150 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | $4 |
151 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | $3 |
152 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | $3 |
153 | 🇨🇩 Dem. Rep. of Congo | $3 |
154 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | $3 |
155 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | $2 |
156 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | $0 |
157 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | $0 |
158 | 🇵🇦 Panama | $0 |
Measured this way, we get a perspective of how small defense budgets can be per person, even if the total expenditure is large.
For example, India has the fourth-highest total defense expenditure in 2022, but because of its massive population only sets aside $53 per resident for its military, putting it solidly at the bottom third of the per-capita rankings.
Patterns Revealed By Measuring Military Spend
Changing how we look at a country’s military budget can reveal a lot more than just looking at absolute numbers.
For example, the Middle East is the region with the highest spenders on defense as a percentage of their GDP, giving us insight into regional security concerns.
Countries from the medium group of military spending—including parts of Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia—highlight past or recent conflict zones between neighbors, countries with internal strife, or countries wary of a regional aggressor. Ukraine’s average per capita military spend, for example, was just $122.4 from 2018 to 2021. The next year, it jumped nearly 10 times to $1,018.66 per person after Russia’s invasion.
In fact, European military spending saw its sharpest one-year jump in 30 years as a direct result of the war.
Alongside European anxieties, ongoing tension between China and Taiwan has also contributed to increased military spending in Asia and Oceania. Will these budgets continue their dramatic ascent or will they rise evenly alongside their relative economies in 2023?
Data note: For these comparisons, the creator is calculating five-year averages (using data from 2018-2022) for military spending as a percentage of GDP and per-capita military spending for each country. The military expenditure data is pulled from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Data for some countries is missing or may vary significantly from official figures. Countries with up to
two years of missing data had averages calculated on the years available, while countries with three or more years of missing data have been removed from this dataset, including: Djibouti, Eritrea, North Korea, Laos, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Turkmenistan, UAE, and Yemen.
Please see SIPRI’s methodologies page for more details on how they collect their data and create estimates.
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