Comparison of Military Production Expenditures
in World War 2

Comparison of military production expenditures

Overview about the relative comparison of the military production and wartime expenditures of the Axis and Allies in World War 2.

Picture: Production of Russian KV-1 in a tank factory at Leningrad.

Warmaking potential in 1937

Country	% of total warmaking potential
U.S.A.	41.7 %
Germany (without Austria and Czech protectorate)	14.4 %
Soviet Union (Russia)	14.0 %
United Kingdom	10.2 %
France	4.2 %
Japan	3.5 %
Italy	2.5 %
Total of the seven world powers	90.5 %

Wartime expenditures during the Second World War 1939-1945

Country	Billion U.S. dollars (for prices in 1946: $ 1 = approximately £ 0.25 = approximately RM 2.22)
U.S.A.	$ 341.491
Germany	$ 270.000
Soviet Union (Russia)	$ 192.000
China	approximately $ 190.000 (estimate for 1937-1945)
United Kingdom	$ 120.000
Canada	$ 15.680
Italy	$ 94.000
Japan	$ 56.000
France	$ 15.000 (only for 1939-40)
Belgium	$ 3.250 (only for 1939-40)
Poland	$ 1.550 (only 1939)
Netherlands	$ 0.925 (only for 1939-42)
Latin American countries (total)	$ 1.000
Greece	over $ 0.220 (only 1940-41)
Yugoslavia	over $ 0.200 (until 1941)

Price value of the arms production in 1940 and 1941:

Country	Billion U.S. dollars (for prices in 1944: $ 1 = approximately £ 0.21 = approximately RM 2.22)
Country	1940	1941
Germany	$ 6.0	$ 6.0
Soviet Union (Russia)	$ 5.0	$ 8.5
United Kingdom	$ 3.5	$ 4.5
U.S.A.	$ 1.5	$ 4.5
Japan	$ 1.0	$ 2.0

Military Arms Production Index of Germany:

Value and index of military arms production in Germany from July 1944 to March 1945:

Time	Value in billion RM (Reichsmark) (1 RM = about 0.45 U.S. dollars)	Index (January and February 1942 = 100)
July 1944	RM 2.99	322
August 1944	RM 2.76	297
September 1944	RM 2.80	301
October 1944	RM 2.54	273
November 1944	RM 2.49	268
December 1944	RM 2.45	263
January 1945	RM 2.11	227
February 1945	RM 1.52	175
March 1945	RM 1.34	145