Data card
Military Expenditure Before 1949, Civilization Proxies (COW NMC v7)
COW National Material Capabilities v7 milex for proxy states: thousands of current GBP for 1816-1913 and current USD for 1914+; selected decadal years.
Data Summary
- Units change at 1913/1914 (GBP to USD) and are CURRENT prices: do not splice or deflate without an editor-approved method.
- Coverage: Western-Atlantic, Greco-Roman (Italy, Greece), Islamic (Ottoman/Turkey, Egypt), Persian-Iranian, Sinitic (China from 1896), Mesoamerican (Mexico), Andean (Peru), Southeast Asian (Thailand), Mesopotamian (Iraq from 1932).
- NOT covered (no COW state or no pre-1949 data): Indus-South Asian (India from 1947), Ethiopian-Axumite (from 1959), West African-Sahelian, Nile-Valley beyond Egypt from 1869, Steppe (Mongolia from 1934: 4 points, omitted), Tibetan (no COW entity).
- Premodern (pre-1816) spending: BLOCKED, no dataset located.
- Proxy mapping is ESTIMATED, medium-low confidence.
Citations
cow-nmc-v7-data[formal] J. David Singer, Stuart Bremer, John Stuckey (2025). Correlates of War: National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex, 1816-2022). Correlates of War Project. https://correlatesofwar.org/wp-content/uploads/NMCv7.zip. Verified 2026-10-11 (resolves).cow-nmc-landing[formal] Correlates of War Project (2025). Correlates of War Project: National Material Capabilities data page. correlatesofwar.org. https://correlatesofwar.org/data-sets/national-material-capabilities/. Verified 2026-10-11 (resolves).
Series values: see series.war-gap.json (ids prefixed war military spending pre1949 cow nmc).
Military expenditure, thousands of current GBP (COW NMC v7); proxy states: United Kingdom, France, Germany, United States† (thousands of current GBP, 1820-1913)
Country labels come from the preserved source-series notes. Each curve shows one proxy country; curves share a scale within this section. These are not civilization totals. Historical state coverage follows the source coding. Table rows remain in source order.
United Kingdom (ccode 200)
France (ccode 220)
Germany (ccode 255)
United States (ccode 2)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (44 points)
| Entity | Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1820 | 11748.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1830 | 8491.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1840 | 10028.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1850 | 11606.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1860 | 25007.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1870 | 19917.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1880 | 21448.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1890 | 29602.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1900 | 119587.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1910 | 61417.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1913 | 67734.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1820 | 9414.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1830 | 12618.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1840 | 18414.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1850 | 16838.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1860 | 25746.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1870 | 59066.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1880 | 32816.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1890 | 36771.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1900 | 40569.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1910 | 49539.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1913 | 66706.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1820 | 3714.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1830 | 3096.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1840 | 3376.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1850 | 3528.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1860 | 4579.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1870 | 42993.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1880 | 19397.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1890 | 37454.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1900 | 39681.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1910 | 60416.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1913 | 88418.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1820 | 1556.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1830 | 1687.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1840 | 2755.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1850 | 4302.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1860 | 7060.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1870 | 13128.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1880 | 11414.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1890 | 14788.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1900 | 41481.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1910 | 55880.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1913 | 62825.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: United Kingdom, France, Germany, United States† (thousands of current USD, 1914-1948)
Country labels come from the preserved source-series notes. Each curve shows one proxy country; curves share a scale within this section. These are not civilization totals. Historical state coverage follows the source coding. Table rows remain in source order.
United Kingdom (ccode 200)
France (ccode 220)
Germany (ccode 255)
United States (ccode 2)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (19 points)
| Entity | Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1914 | 1678843.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1920 | 1475661.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1930 | 512181.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1940 | 9948329.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United Kingdom (ccode 200) | 1948 | 3438984.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1914 | 1235000.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1920 | 361910.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1930 | 498642.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1940 | 5707762.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| France (ccode 220) | 1948 | 910344.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1914 | 1785000.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1920 | 79025.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1930 | 162783.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Germany (ccode 255) | 1940 | 21200000.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1914 | 253205.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1920 | 1657118.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1930 | 699200.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1940 | 1657000.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| United States (ccode 2) | 1948 | 10960998.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current GBP (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Italy, Greece† (thousands of current GBP, 1820-1913)
Country labels come from the preserved source-series notes. Each curve shows one proxy country; curves share a scale within this section. These are not civilization totals. Historical state coverage follows the source coding. Table rows remain in source order.
Italy (ccode 325)
Greece (ccode 350)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (19 points)
| Entity | Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1820 | 908.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1830 | 1124.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1840 | 1322.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1850 | 1612.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1860 | 10808.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1870 | 8053.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1880 | 8872.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1890 | 15198.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1900 | 14112.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1910 | 22016.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1913 | 40379.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1850 | 245.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1860 | 317.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1870 | 360.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1880 | 468.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1890 | 824.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1900 | 1027.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1910 | 1373.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1913 | 4920.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Italy, Greece† (thousands of current USD, 1914-1948)
Country labels come from the preserved source-series notes. Each curve shows one proxy country; curves share a scale within this section. These are not civilization totals. Historical state coverage follows the source coding. Table rows remain in source order.
Italy (ccode 325)
Greece (ccode 350)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (10 points)
| Entity | Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1914 | 87453.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1920 | 305619.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1930 | 266243.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1940 | 606523.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Italy (ccode 325) | 1948 | 446073.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1914 | 7821.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1920 | 63713.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1930 | 23980.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1940 | 62145.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Greece (ccode 350) | 1948 | 100488.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current GBP (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Ottoman Empire/Turkey, Egypt† (thousands of current GBP, 1860-1913)
Country labels come from the preserved source-series notes. Each curve shows one proxy country; curves share a scale within this section. These are not civilization totals. Historical state coverage follows the source coding. Table rows remain in source order.
Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640)
Egypt (ccode 651)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (9 points)
| Entity | Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1860 | 4337.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1870 | 4275.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1880 | 4745.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1890 | 6318.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1900 | 6650.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1910 | 8773.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1913 | 25134.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Egypt (ccode 651) | 1870 | 35.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Egypt (ccode 651) | 1880 | 422.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Ottoman Empire/Turkey, Egypt† (thousands of current USD, 1930-1948)
Country labels come from the preserved source-series notes. Each curve shows one proxy country; curves share a scale within this section. These are not civilization totals. Historical state coverage follows the source coding. Table rows remain in source order.
Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640)
Egypt (ccode 651)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (5 points)
| Entity | Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1930 | 29704.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1940 | 79176.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Ottoman Empire/Turkey (ccode 640) | 1948 | 172615.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Egypt (ccode 651) | 1940 | 14354.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| Egypt (ccode 651) | 1948 | 35576.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Iran/Persia† (thousands of current USD, 1930-1948)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (3 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 11509.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1940 | 24250.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1948 | 47538.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current GBP (COW NMC v7); proxy states: China† (thousands of current GBP, 1900-1913)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (2 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 12241.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1913 | 18408.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: China† (thousands of current USD, 1914-1948)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (4 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 67785.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1930 | 101852.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1940 | 217589.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1948 | 214176.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current GBP (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Mexico† (thousands of current GBP, 1870-1913)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (6 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1440.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1880 | 1666.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1890 | 2593.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1900 | 1348.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1910 | 2083.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1913 | 4478.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Mexico† (thousands of current USD, 1914-1948)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (5 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 22000.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1920 | 65792.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1930 | 38441.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1940 | 18146.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1948 | 60576.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current GBP (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Peru† (thousands of current GBP, 1850-1910)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (6 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 957.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1860 | 1965.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1870 | 1152.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1890 | 376.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1900 | 320.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1910 | 544.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Peru† (thousands of current USD, 1914-1948)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (5 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 832.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1920 | 463.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1930 | 8320.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1940 | 7212.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1948 | 32662.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current GBP (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Thailand/Siam† (thousands of current GBP, 1910-1913)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (2 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1096.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1913 | 1245.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Thailand/Siam† (thousands of current USD, 1914-1948)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (5 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 6592.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1920 | 7267.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1930 | 9432.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1940 | 10514.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1948 | 21940.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
Military expenditure, thousands of current USD (COW NMC v7); proxy states: Iraq† (thousands of current USD, 1940-1948)
- Some values are estimates (interpolated or inferred); each carries a method and confidence in the table (hover the ~).
Data table (2 points)
| Year | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 6851.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
| 1948 | 17574.0 | Correlates of War National Material Capabilities v7.0 (milex) |
About this entry
A draft entry preserved from civilization.study. Evidence grade: medium. 2 of 2 listed sources are fully documented; the rest are names only. † marks figures that are scholarly estimates. Method and sources