Israel Leads the World in Defense Spending Per Capita
New report reveals every Israeli citizen "invests" nearly $5,000 in national security, nearly double the per-person spending of the United States.
When we talk about military might, the conversation usually revolves around the staggering trillion-dollar budgets of superpowers like the United States or the massive expansion of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. But total dollars only tell half the story.
A new report based on 2024 data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reveals a different reality: when measured by the "security tax" paid by every individual citizen, Israel stands alone at the top of the global list.
The $5,000 Citizen
According to the visualization by Visual Capitalist, Israel spent nearly $5,000 per person on defense in 2024.
While Israel’s total defense budget of $47 billion is dwarfed by the U.S. ($997 billion) or China ($314 billion), the per-person investment is unmatched. To put that in perspective, the average Israeli "contributes" nearly double what the average American does to their nation's defense, and over 22 times what a citizen in China contributes.
Why Israel Leads the Pack
The ranking highlights the unique burden placed on the Israeli economy and its people. This $4,989 per capita figure is driven by several critical factors:
Rank
Country
Total Spend (2024)
Per Capita Cost
1 🇮🇱 Israel, $47B, $4,989
2 🇺🇸 United States, $997B, $2,895
3 🇸🇬 Singapore, $15B, $2,591
4 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia, $80B, $2,386
5 🇳🇴 Norway, $10B, $1,880
6 🇺🇦 Ukraine, $65B, $1,728
7 🇩🇰 Denmark, $10B, $1,670
8 🇰🇼 Kuwait $8B, $1,596, 9
🇳🇱 Netherlands, $23B, $1,276
10 🇦🇺 Australia, $34B, $1,272
The Global Landscape
The U.S. remains the second-highest spender per person ($2,895), reflecting its role as a global security guarantor. Interestingly, smaller wealthy nations like Singapore and Norway also rank high, emphasizing technological investment and NATO commitments, respectively.
Meanwhile, China and India, despite their massive total budgets, rank significantly lower on a per-capita basis due to their enormous populations.
The Takeaway
For Israelis, these numbers aren't just statistics on a spreadsheet, they represent the tangible cost of living in a "tough neighborhood." As the "Forensic Longitudinal" reality of Middle Eastern security continues to evolve, the financial and personal investment of the Israeli citizen remains the highest in the world.