The Cost of National Defense
This data table is a list of National Defense Expenditures by year by President. The third and fourth columns are used to show if the year in question was a time of war for the United States and lists which war. This will help to explain spikes in National Defense costs from the typical/gradual increase in spending. The fifth column shows the percentage of the year’s budget spent on National Defense.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (1789-1939) & U.S. Government Printing Office (1940-2017)
| Year | President | War-Time? | Which War | Spending (in thousands) | % of Total Spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1789 | Continental-Confederation Congress | na | na | na | na |
| 1790 | George Washington | na | na | na | na |
| 1791 | George Washington | $4,269 | |||
| 1792 | George Washington | $5,080 | |||
| 1793 | George Washington | $4,482 | |||
| 1794 | George Washington | $6,991 | |||
| 1795 | George Washington | $7,540 | |||
| 1796 | George Washington | $5,727 | |||
| 1797 | John Adams | $6,134 | |||
| 1798 | John Adams | $7,677 | |||
| 1799 | John Adams | $9,666 | |||
| 1800 | John Adams | $10,786 | |||
| 1801 | Thomas Jefferson | $9,395 | |||
| 1802 | Thomas Jefferson | $7,862 | |||
| 1803 | Thomas Jefferson | $7,852 | |||
| 1804 | Thomas Jefferson | $8,719 | |||
| 1805 | Thomas Jefferson | $10,506 | |||
| 1806 | Thomas Jefferson | $9,804 | |||
| 1807 | Thomas Jefferson | $8,354 | |||
| 1808 | Thomas Jefferson | $9,932 | |||
| 1809 | James Madison | $10,281 | |||
| 1810 | James Madison | $8,157 | |||
| 1811 | James Madison | $8,058 | |||
| 1812 | James Madison | $20,281 | |||
| 1813 | James Madison | $31,682 | |||
| 1814 | James Madison | $34,721 | |||
| 1815 | James Madison | $32,708 | |||
| 1816 | James Madison | $30,587 | |||
| 1817 | James Monroe | $21,844 | |||
| 1818 | James Monroe | $19,825 | |||
| 1819 | James Monroe | $21,464 | |||
| 1820 | James Monroe | $18,261 | |||
| 1821 | James Monroe | $15,811 | |||
| 1822 | James Monroe | $15,000 | |||
| 1823 | James Monroe | $14,707 | |||
| 1824 | James Monroe | $20,327 | |||
| 1825 | John Quincy Adams | $15,857 | |||
| 1826 | John Quincy Adams | $17,036 | |||
| 1827 | John Quincy Adams | $16,139 | |||
| 1828 | John Quincy Adams | $16,395 | |||
| 1829 | Andrew Jackson | $15,203 | |||
| 1830 | Andrew Jackson | $15,143 | |||
| 1831 | Andrew Jackson | $15,248 | |||
| 1832 | Andrew Jackson | $17,289 | |||
| 1833 | Andrew Jackson | $23,018 | |||
| 1834 | Andrew Jackson | $18,628 | |||
| 1835 | Andrew Jackson | $17,573 | |||
| 1836 | Andrew Jackson | $30,868 | |||
| 1837 | Martin Van Buren | $37,243 | |||
| 1838 | Martin Van Buren | $33,865 | |||
| 1839 | Martin Van Buren | $26,899 | |||
| 1840 | Martin Van Buren | $24,318 | |||
| 1841 | John Tyler | $26,566 | |||
| 1842 | John Tyler | $25,206 | |||
| 1843 | John Tyler | $11,858 | |||
| 1844 | John Tyler | $22,338 | |||
| 1845 | James Knox Polk | $22,937 | |||
| 1846 | James Knox Polk | $27,767 | |||
| 1847 | James Knox Polk | $57,281 | |||
| 1848 | James Knox Polk | $45,377 | |||
| 1849 | Zachary Taylor | $45,052 | |||
| 1850 | Millard Fillmore | $39,543 | |||
| 1851 | Millard Fillmore | $47,709 | |||
| 1852 | Millard Fillmore | $44,195 | |||
| 1853 | Franklin Pierce | $48,184 | |||
| 1854 | Franklin Pierce | $58,045 | |||
| 1855 | Franklin Pierce | $59,743 | |||
| 1856 | Franklin Pierce | $69,571 | |||
| 1857 | James Buchanan | $67,796 | |||
| 1858 | James Buchanan | $74,185 | |||
| 1859 | James Buchanan | $69,071 | |||
| 1860 | James Buchanan | $63,131 | |||
| 1861 | Abraham Lincoln | $66,547 | |||
| 1862 | Abraham Lincoln | $474,762 | |||
| 1863 | Abraham Lincoln | $714,741 | |||
| 1864 | Abraham Lincoln | $865,323 | |||
| 1865 | Andrew Johnson | $1,297,555 | |||
| 1866 | Andrew Johnson | $520,809 | |||
| 1867 | Andrew Johnson | $357,543 | |||
| 1868 | Andrew Johnson | $377,340 | |||
| 1869 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $322,865 | |||
| 1870 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $309,654 | |||
| 1871 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $292,177 | |||
| 1872 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $277,518 | |||
| 1873 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $290,345 | |||
| 1874 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $302,634 | |||
| 1875 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $274,623 | |||
| 1876 | Ulysses Simpson Grant | $265,101 | |||
| 1877 | Rutherford Birchard Hayes | $241,334 | |||
| 1878 | Rutherford Birchard Hayes | $236,964 | |||
| 1879 | Rutherford Birchard Hayes | $266,948 | |||
| 1880 | Rutherford Birchard Hayes | $267,643 | |||
| 1881 | Chester Alan Arthur | $260,713 | |||
| 1882 | Chester Alan Arthur | $257,981 | |||
| 1883 | Chester Alan Arthur | $265,408 | |||
| 1884 | Chester Alan Arthur | $244,126 | |||
| 1885 | Grover Cleveland | $260,227 | |||
| 1886 | Grover Cleveland | $242,483 | |||
| 1887 | Grover Cleveland | $267,932 | |||
| 1888 | Grover Cleveland | $267,925 | |||
| 1889 | Benjamin Harrison | $299,289 | |||
| 1890 | Benjamin Harrison | $318,041 | |||
| 1891 | Benjamin Harrison | $365,774 | |||
| 1892 | Benjamin Harrison | $345,023 | |||
| 1893 | Grover Cleveland | $383,478 | |||
| 1894 | Grover Cleveland | $367,525 | |||
| 1895 | Grover Cleveland | $356,195 | |||
| 1896 | Grover Cleveland | $352,179 | |||
| 1897 | William McKinley | $365,774 | |||
| 1898 | William McKinley | $443,369 | |||
| 1899 | William McKinley | $605,072 | |||
| 1900 | William McKinley | $520,861 | |||
| 1901 | Theodore Roosevelt | $524,617 | |||
| 1902 | Theodore Roosevelt | $485,234 | |||
| 1903 | Theodore Roosevelt | $517,006 | |||
| 1904 | Theodore Roosevelt | $583,660 | |||
| 1905 | Theodore Roosevelt | $567,279 | |||
| 1906 | Theodore Roosevelt | $570,202 | |||
| 1907 | Theodore Roosevelt | $579,129 | |||
| 1908 | Theodore Roosevelt | $659,196 | |||
| 1909 | William Howard Taft | $693,744 | |||
| 1910 | William Howard Taft | $693,617 | |||
| 1911 | William Howard Taft | $691,202 | |||
| 1912 | William Howard Taft | $689,881 | |||
| 1913 | Woodrow Wilson | $714,864 | |||
| 1914 | Woodrow Wilson | $725,525 | |||
| 1915 | Woodrow Wilson | $746,093 | |||
| 1916 | Woodrow Wilson | $712,967 | |||
| 1917 | Woodrow Wilson | $1,953,857 | |||
| 1918 | Woodrow Wilson | $12,677,359 | |||
| 1919 | Woodrow Wilson | $18,492,665 | |||
| 1920 | Woodrow Wilson | $6,357,677 | |||
| 1921 | Warren Gamaliel Harding | $5,061,785 | |||
| 1922 | Warren Gamaliel Harding | $3,289,404 | |||
| 1923 | Calvin Coolidge | $3,140,287 | |||
| 1924 | Calvin Coolidge | $2,907,847 | |||
| 1925 | Calvin Coolidge | $2,923,762 | |||
| 1926 | Calvin Coolidge | $2,929,964 | |||
| 1927 | Calvin Coolidge | $2,857,429 | |||
| 1928 | Calvin Coolidge | $2,961,245 | |||
| 1929 | Herbert Clark Hoover | $3,127,199 | |||
| 1930 | Herbert Clark Hoover | $3,320,211 | |||
| 1931 | Herbert Clark Hoover | $3,577,434 | |||
| 1932 | Herbert Clark Hoover | $4,659,182 | |||
| 1933 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $4,598,496 | |||
| 1934 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $ | |||
| 1935 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $ | |||
| 1936 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $ | |||
| 1937 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $ | |||
| 1938 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $ | |||
| 1939 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $ | |||
| 1940 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $1,660,000 | |||
| 1941 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $6,435,000 | |||
| 1942 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $25,658,000 | |||
| 1943 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $66,699,000 | |||
| 1944 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | $79,143,000 | |||
| 1945 | Harry S Truman | $82,965,000 | |||
| 1946 | Harry S Truman | $42,681,000 | |||
| 1947 | Harry S Truman | $12,808,000 | |||
| 1948 | Harry S Truman | $9,105,000 | |||
| 1949 | Harry S Truman | $13,150,000 | |||
| 1950 | Harry S Truman | $13,724,000 | |||
| 1951 | Harry S Truman | $23,566,000 | |||
| 1952 | Harry S Truman | $46,089,000 | |||
| 1953 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $52,802,000 | |||
| 1954 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $49,266,000 | |||
| 1955 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $42,729,000 | |||
| 1956 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $42,523,000 | |||
| 1957 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $45,430,000 | |||
| 1958 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $46,815,000 | |||
| 1959 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $49,015,000 | |||
| 1960 | Dwight David Eisenhower | $48,130,000 | |||
| 1961 | John Fitzgerald Kennedy | $49,601,000 | |||
| 1962 | John Fitzgerald Kennedy | $52,345,000 | |||
| 1963 | Lyndon Baines Johnson | $53,400,000 | |||
| 1964 | Lyndon Baines Johnson | $54,757,000 | |||
| 1965 | Lyndon Baines Johnson | $50,620,000 | |||
| 1966 | Lyndon Baines Johnson | $58,111,000 | |||
| 1967 | Lyndon Baines Johnson | $71,417,000 | |||
| 1968 | Lyndon Baines Johnson | $81,926,000 | |||
| 1969 | Richard Milhous Nixon | $82,497,000 | |||
| 1970 | Richard Milhous Nixon | $81,692,000 | |||
| 1971 | Richard Milhous Nixon | $78,872,000 | |||
| 1972 | Richard Milhous Nixon | $79,174,000 | |||
| 1973 | Richard Milhous Nixon | $76,681,000 | |||
| 1974 | Gerald Rudolph FOrd Jr | $79,347,000 | |||
| 1975 | Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr | $86,509,000 | |||
| 1976 | Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr | $89,619,000 | |||
| 1977 | James Earl Carter | $97,241,000 | |||
| 1978 | James Earl Carter | $104,495,000 | |||
| 1979 | James Earl Carter | $116,342,000 | |||
| 1980 | James Earl Carter | $133,995,000 | |||
| 1981 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $157,513,000 | |||
| 1982 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $185,309,000 | |||
| 1983 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $209,903,000 | |||
| 1984 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $227,411,000 | |||
| 1985 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $252,743,000 | |||
| 1986 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $273,373,000 | |||
| 1987 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $281,996,000 | |||
| 1988 | Ronald Wilson Reagan | $290,360,000 | |||
| 1989 | George Herbert Walker Bush | $303,555,000 | |||
| 1990 | George Herbert Walker Bush | $299,321,000 | |||
| 1991 | George Herbert Walker Bush | $273,285,000 | |||
| 1992 | George Herbert Walker Bush | $298,346,000 | |||
| 1993 | William Jefferson Clinton | $291,084,000 | |||
| 1994 | William Jefferson Clinton | $281,640,000 | |||
| 1995 | William Jefferson Clinton | $272,063,000 | |||
| 1996 | William Jefferson Clinton | $265,748,000 | |||
| 1997 | William Jefferson Clinton | $270,502,000 | |||
| 1998 | William Jefferson Clinton | $268,194,000 | |||
| 1999 | William Jefferson Clinton | $274,769,000 | |||
| 2000 | William Jefferson Clinton | $294,363,000 | |||
| 2001 | George Walker Bush | $304,732,000 | |||
| 2002 | George Walker Bush | $348,456,000 | |||
| 2003 | George Walker Bush | $404,744,000 | |||
| 2004 | George Walker Bush | $455,833,000 | |||
| 2005 | George Walker Bush | $495,308,000 | |||
| 2006 | George Walker Bush | $521,827,000 | |||
| 2007 | George Walker Bush | $551,271,000 | |||
| 2008 | George Walker Bush | $616,073,000 | |||
| 2009 | Barack Hussein Obama | $661,049,000 | |||
| 2010 | Barack Hussein Obama | $693,586,000 | |||
| 2011 | Barack Hussein Obama | $705,625,000 | |||
| 2012 (estimate) | Barack Hussein Obama | $716,300,000 | |||
| 2013 (estimate) | $701,767,000 | ||||
| 2014 (estimate) | $599,295,000 | ||||
| 2015 (estimate) | $572,464,000 | ||||
| 2016 (estimate) | $578,305,000 | ||||
| 2017 (estimate) | $589,464,000 | ||||