The Hidden Cost of the U.S. Military: The Real Budget Is Far Larger Than Reported
by Gisela Cernadas, David Vine, and John Bellamy Foster
A new analysis by the Project On Government Oversight argues that the real cost of maintaining the U.S. military is far higher than officially reported. By examining spending across multiple agencies and including long-term obligations and debt-related costs, the study estimates total military-related expenditures in 2025 at between $1.5 trillion and $2.3 trillion. The authors contend that decades of fragmented budgeting have obscured the true scale of U.S. war spending. They call for greater transparency and reforms that would allow the public and lawmakers to assess military priorities alongside social and environmentalneeds.