U.S. expenditures for defense and education

Defense spending includes all federal spending for national defense, DOD and civilian, but excludes veterans affairs. Defense spending peak in 1977 is due to inclusion of the 1977 transition quarter expenditures. Public school spending includes all government expenditures (federal, state, and local) for public schools elementary through high school. All education spending includes public school spending plus expenditures for private primary and secondary schools and for private and public post-secondary institutions. All figures adjusted for inflation (expressed in 2005 $)

The table below gives yearly expenditures in millions of inflation-adjusted dollars (2005 $):

year defense public K-12 all education

1940 21,623 42,001 31,738

1941 78,581

1942 282,845

1943 673,666

1944 845,308

1945 903,155

1946 451,610

1947 124,909

1948 81,053

1949 119,599

1950 120,843 68,754 47,255

1951 208,801

1952 408,042 75,357 53,564

1953 437,404

1954 396,236 89,932 64,811

1955 332,796

1956 315,782 108,574 78,113

1957 321,566

1958 314,476 127,769 91,079

1959 318,129

1960 311,671 145,575 101,858

1961 313,144

1962 329,001 171,092 117,171

1963 323,089

1964 326,591 198,906 132,540

1965 297,532

1966 333,602 243,655 157,687

1967 399,466

1968 441,469 290,615 185,880

1969 419,229

1970 391,772 325,922 206,447

1971 354,824 345,384 219,560

1972 333,540 356,411 223,834

1973 306,732 371,257 232,190

1974 292,894 374,479 234,224

1975 289,700 384,566 240,008

1976 279,008 394,057 244,034

1977 344,261 397,786 242,324

1978 282,281 405,570 247,428

1979 289,636 402,225 242,656

1980 301,943 395,259 236,950

1981 320,925 390,306 230,418

1982 352,463 388,699 226,479

1983 380,894 399,713 231,290

1984 393,152 416,206 240,126

1985 422,388 433,800 248,299

1986 445,943 456,846 261,774

1987 447,389 484,195 277,285

1988 447,134 499,387 285,777

1989 450,796 527,102 305,236

1990 430,361 551,978 321,215

1991 376,492 565,438 328,411

1992 397,390 578,987 334,339

1993 378,072 591,217 340,190

1994 358,532 604,189 347,821

1995 338,063 618,593 355,580

1996 322,855 631,185 364,334

1997 322,407 650,265 377,756

1998 316,799 675,869 396,221

1999 319,547 702,784 414,552

2000 333,731 734,106 432,362

2001 337,632 768,792 449,759

2002 379,108 805,293 468,348

2003 429,651 825,520 478,847

2004 473,251 851,475 489,809

2005 495,335

2006 518,679

2007 510,416

year	defense	public K-12	all education
1940	21,623	42,001	31,738
1941	78,581
1942	282,845
1943	673,666
1944	845,308
1945	903,155
1946	451,610
1947	124,909
1948	81,053
1949	119,599
1950	120,843	68,754	47,255
1951	208,801
1952	408,042	75,357	53,564
1953	437,404
1954	396,236	89,932	64,811
1955	332,796
1956	315,782	108,574	78,113
1957	321,566
1958	314,476	127,769	91,079
1959	318,129
1960	311,671	145,575	101,858
1961	313,144
1962	329,001	171,092	117,171
1963	323,089
1964	326,591	198,906	132,540
1965	297,532
1966	333,602	243,655	157,687
1967	399,466
1968	441,469	290,615	185,880
1969	419,229
1970	391,772	325,922	206,447
1971	354,824	345,384	219,560
1972	333,540	356,411	223,834
1973	306,732	371,257	232,190
1974	292,894	374,479	234,224
1975	289,700	384,566	240,008
1976	279,008	394,057	244,034
1977	344,261	397,786	242,324
1978	282,281	405,570	247,428
1979	289,636	402,225	242,656
1980	301,943	395,259	236,950
1981	320,925	390,306	230,418
1982	352,463	388,699	226,479
1983	380,894	399,713	231,290
1984	393,152	416,206	240,126
1985	422,388	433,800	248,299
1986	445,943	456,846	261,774
1987	447,389	484,195	277,285
1988	447,134	499,387	285,777
1989	450,796	527,102	305,236
1990	430,361	551,978	321,215
1991	376,492	565,438	328,411
1992	397,390	578,987	334,339
1993	378,072	591,217	340,190
1994	358,532	604,189	347,821
1995	338,063	618,593	355,580
1996	322,855	631,185	364,334
1997	322,407	650,265	377,756
1998	316,799	675,869	396,221
1999	319,547	702,784	414,552
2000	333,731	734,106	432,362
2001	337,632	768,792	449,759
2002	379,108	805,293	468,348
2003	429,651	825,520	478,847
2004	473,251	851,475	489,809
2005	495,335
2006	518,679
2007	510,416

Sources: Defense expenditures, U.S. GAO budget FY 2007 [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy07/pdf/hist.pdf]; Education expenditures, U.S. Dept. of Education National Center for Education Statistics [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_026.asp]; CPI for inflation adjustments, U.S. Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics [ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt] and U.S. Dept. of Education National Center for Education Statistics [http://nces,ed,gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_031.asp],