| Years of War Spending | Peak Year of War Spending | Peak Year of War Spending | |
| Total Military Cost of War in Millions/Billions of Dollars | War Cost % GDP in Peak Year of War | Total Defense % GDP in Peak Year of War |
|
|
American Revolution |
1775-1783 |
NA | NA |
|
Current Year $
|
101 million
|
||
|
Constant Y2008$
|
1,825 million
|
||
| War of 1812 | 1812-1815 | 1813 | 1813 |
|
Current Year $
|
90 million
|
2.2% | 2.7% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
1,177 million
|
||
| Mexican War | 1846-1849 | 1847 | 1847 |
|
Current Year $
|
71 million
|
1.4% | 1.9% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
1,801 million
|
||
| Civil War: Union | 1861-1865 | 1865 | 1865 |
|
Current Year $
|
3,183 million
|
11.3% | 11.7% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
45,199 million
|
||
| Civil War: Confederacy | 1861-1865 | ||
|
Current Year $
|
1,000 million
|
NA | NA |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
15,244 million
|
||
| Spanish American War | 1898-1899 | 1899 | 1899 |
|
Current Year $
|
283 million
|
1.1% | 1.5% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
6,848 million
|
||
| World War I | 1917-1921 | 1919 | 1919 |
|
Current Year $
|
20 billion
|
13.6% | 14.1% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
253 billion
|
||
| World War II | 1941-1945 | 1945 | 1945 |
|
Current Year $
|
296 billion
|
35.8% | 37.5% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
4,114 billion
|
||
| Korea | 1950-1953 | 1952 | 1952 |
|
Current Year $
|
30 billion
|
4.2% | 13.2% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
320 billion
|
||
| Vietnam | 1965-1975 | 1968 | 1968 |
|
Current Year $
|
111 billion
|
2.3% | 9.5% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
686 billion
|
||
| Persian Gulf War /a/ | 1990-1991 | 1991 | 1991 |
|
Current Year $
|
61 billion
|
0.3% | 4.6% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
96 billion
|
||
| Iraq /b/ | 2003-Present | 2008 | 2008 |
|
Current Year $
|
616 billion
|
1.0% | 4.2% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
648 billion
|
||
| Afghanistan/GWOT /b,c/ | 2001-Present | 2007 | 2007 |
|
Current Year $
|
159 billion
|
0.3% | 4.0% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
171 billion
|
||
| Post-9/11 Domestic Security (Operation Noble Eagle) /b/ |
2001-Present |
2003 | 2003 |
|
Current Year $
|
28 billion
|
0.1% | 3.7% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
33 billion
|
||
| Total Post-9/11 — Iraq, Afghanistan/GWOT, ONE /d/ |
2001-Present | 2008 | 2008 |
|
Current Year $
|
809 billion
|
1.2% | 4.2% |
|
Constant FY2008$
|
859 billion
|
Sources: All estimates are of the costs of military operations only and do not reflect costs of veterans benefits, interest on war-related debt, or assistance to allies. Except for costs of the American Revolution and the Civil War costs of the Confederacy, all estimates are based on U.S. government budget data. Current year dollar estimates of the costs of the War of 1812 though World War II represent the increase in Army and Navy outlays during the period of each war compared to average military spending in the previous three years. For the Civil War costs of the Confederacy, the estimate is from the Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1994. For the American Revolution, the estimate is from an unofficial financial history of the United States published in 1895. For the Korean War, the estimate represents increased expenditures of the Department of Defense during the period of the conflict compared to the projected trend from the average of three years before the war to three years after. For the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War, figures are Department of Defense estimates of the incremental costs of operations, meaning the costs of war-related activities over and above the regular, non-wartime costs of defense. For operations since September 11, 2001, figures reflect CRS estimates of amounts appropriated to cover war-related costs. The current year dollar estimates are converted to constant prices using estimates of changes in the consumer price index for years prior to 1940 and using Office of Management and Budget and Department of Defense estimates of defense inflation for years thereafter. The CPI estimates used here are from a data base maintained at Oregon State University. The data base periodically updates figures for new official CPI estimates of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Notes
a. Most Persian Gulf War costs were offset by allied contributions or were absorbed by DOD. Net costs to U.S. taxpayers totaled $4.7 billion in current year dollars. Source: Department of Defense Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 1994, January, 1993.
b. Totals for post-9/11 operations include all funds appropriated through the enactment of FY2008 supplemental appropriations and FY2009 “bridge fund” appropriations in P.L. 110-252, which the President signed into law on June 30, 2008. Totals are for military operations only and do not include costs of reconstruction assistance, diplomatic security, and other activities by other agencies. Figures for post-9/11 costs are for budget authority— all other figures are for outlays.
c. Reflects funding for “Operation Enduring Freedom,” the bulk of which is for operations in Afghanistan but which also includes amounts for operations in the Philippines, the Horn of Africa, and other areas.
d. Based on data available from DOD, CRS is not able to allocate $5.5 billion (in current year dollars) in FY2003 by mission. That amount is included here in the total for all post-9/11 operations.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22926.pdf