Chart explanation

This chart shows trends in annual (fiscal year) defense spending from 2001 through 2017. The 2017 amount is an estimate. The chart shows three series of data:

• DOD base + 2% inflation: The 2001 base level of spending assuming it kept pace with inflation, which averaged 2% during the period.
• Increase in DOD base: The increase in the base level of spending above the 2% inflation adjustment.
• OC or Overseas Contingency Operations: Funding mainly for the Iraq & Afghanistan wars, plus other "War on terror" expenses.

So the base spending is the first two statistics.

For the 2001-2017 period, the OCO amount was $1,677 billion. The Base + Inflation amount was $5,751 billion. The Increase over inflation was $1,961 billion. The sum of the three was $9,390 billion.

Source Data

Version two of the chart:

• Defense Budget Overview-FY 2017 U.S. DOD FY2017 Budget Request

Version one of the chart (superseded): The data from 2001 - 2014 are from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The data is contained on page 8 of the OMB document here:

• OMB-Overview FY 2014 Defense Budget

The two documents below have the data for a similar analysis from CBO through 2009; one has the total amounts and the other has additional commentary on amounts spent in the wars, broken out by year.

• CBO-Historical Tables
• CBO-Testimony on Costs of Iraq & Afghanistan Wars

Here is a similar chart from the DOD for the 2010 budget:

• DOD-Defense Spending Trend Chart-May 2009

This supersedes an earlier chart on Commons: