Chart of Defense Spending

Chart of Defense Spending from 1945 to 1999

	Background	Consider These Questions
	This chart was issued by the Office of Management and Budget. It is a historical table of the budget of the United States government for defense spending from 1945 to 1999.

Defense Spending as:	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955
% of GDP	37.5	19.1	5.5	3.5	4.8	5.0	7.3	13.2	14.2	13.0	10.8
% of Fedrl. Outlay	89.5	77.3	37.1	30.6	33.9	32.2	51.8	68.1	69.4	69.5	62.4

Defense Spending as:	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966
% of GDP	9.9	10.1	10.2	10.0	9.3	9.3	9.2	8.9	8.5	7.4	7.7
% of Fedrl. Outlay	60.2	59.3	56.8	53.2	52.2	50.8	49.0	48.0	46.2	42.8	43.2

Defense Spending as:	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
% of GDP	8.8	9.4	8.7	8.1	7.3	6.7	5.8	5.5	5.5	5.2	4.8
% of Fedrl. Outlay	45.4	46.0	44.9	41.8	37.5	34.3	31.2	29.5	26.0	24.1	23.2

Defense Spending as:	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988
% of GDP	4.7	4.6	4.9	5.1	5.7	6.1	5.9	6.1	6.2	6.1	5.8
% of Fedrl. Outlay	22.8	23.1	22.7	23.2	24.8	26.0	26.7	26.7	27.6	28.1	27.3

Defense Spending as:	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
% of GDP	5.6	5.2	4.6	4.8	4.4	4.1	3.7	3.5	3.3	3.1	3.0
% of Fedrl. Outlay	26.5	23.9	20.6	21.6	20.7	19.3	17.9	17.0	16.9	16.2	16.1

Source: Office of Management and Budget
Historical Tables, Budget of the United States Government

Consider These Questions

1. What does the percentage of federal outlay suggest about U.S. attitudes toward fighting communism?

2. Which years show the greatest change in percentage of defense spending and what do those changes reflect about United States foreign policy?