Spot The Odd One Out: US Defense Spending By President
Spot The Odd One Out: US Defense Spending By President Since 1997, U.S. defense spending has moved through multiple cycles, but the long-term trajectory is upward. This chart, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, tracks National Defense (Function 050) budget authority in constant 2025 dollars and shows how totals changed under each president and party, culminating in a proposed record $1.5 trillion budget for 2027P. Data is sourced from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Historical Tables, Table 5.1 (National Defense budget authority), supplemented by Reuters reporting for the 2027 proposal. It also leverages analysis from the Council on Foreign Relations. Steady Growth Through the 2000s and 2010s In the late 1990s, under President Clinton, U.S. defense spending sat around the mid-$500 billion level in real terms. Spending rose significantly in the 2000s during the Bush years amid the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, reaching levels above $900 billion before 2010. Continued high budgets carried throughout the Obama administration, driven by ongoing post-9/11 commitments and modernization efforts. Fiscal Year Real Budget (2025$) President 1997 $542B Clinton 1998 $535B Clinton 1999 $564B Clinton 2000 $569B Clinton 2001 $609B Bush 2002 $648B Bush 2003 $798B Bush 2004 $837B Bush 2005 $834B Bush 2006 $888B Bush 2007 $971B Bush 2008 $1.04T Bush 2009 $1.05T Obama 2010 $1.06T Obama 2011 $1.03T Obama 2012 $955B Obama 2013 $843B Obama 2014 $846B Obama 2015 $813B Obama 2016 $837B Obama 2017 $862B Trump 2018 $931B Trump 2019 $938B Trump 2020 $963B Trump 2021 $902B Biden 2022 $922B Biden 2023 $908B Biden 2024 $905B Biden 2025 $962B Trump 2026 $962B Trump 2027 (proposed) $1.5T Trump Recent Trends and Record Levels In the early 2020s, spending remained high under Presidents Trump and Biden, with budgets around $900 billion to over $1 trillion in real terms. The 2026 defense budget approved by Congress reached $901 billion, while proposals for 2027 have pushed that figure even higher. Recently, President Donald Trump announced a proposal for a $1.5 trillion military budget in 2027, representing roughly a 50% increase over current levels, aimed at expanding capabilities and accelerating modernization. If you enjoyed today’s post, check out America’s $38 Trillion Mountain of Debt on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist. Tyler Durden Fri, 02/20/2026 - 05:45
