Fewer Americans believe the United States is the world's top military power – and more think the nation is spending too little on its military, a new poll shows.
The latest
Gallup World Affairs survey released Monday finds 49 percent of Americans say the nation is the No. 1 military power in the world – the lowest the pollster has recorded in its 23-year trend and a big downturn from February 2015, when 59 percent said the United States was the world's top military power.
The survey also shows more Americans than in recent years say the country is spending too little on its military – with 37 percent saying that's the case, a number up slightly from last year and the highest since before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the pollster said.
In its analysis, Gallup finds the 10-point drop in the percentage of Americans who think America is the No. 1 military power most likely reflects both worries about international terrorism and "the discussion of the military and defense in the current presidential election campaign."
But when it comes to spending, Gallup's analysis finds although more Americans now say there's too little, "that percentage is nowhere near as high as it was immediately after the Jimmy Carter years."
The margin of error in plus or minus 4 percentage points.
In other findings:
- Two-thirds of Americans say it's important that America be the top nation in the world militarily.
- Two-thirds of Republicans says the United States spends too little on the military; only 20 percent of Democrats agree. With independents, 27 percent say the nation spends too little.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.