After joining the Second World War in 1941, the United States spent approximately 1.89 billion on the Manhattan Project by the end of 1945. The Manhattan Project resulted in the production of the world's first nuclear weapons, and ultimately, two of these weapons were used during the course of the war, in the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to the Japanese surrender and the end of the Second World War. In total, spending on the Manhattan Project amounted to less than one percent of the United States defense budget, and the production of these two nuclear bombs cost less than the costs of all tanks, artillery, conventional explosives, or light weaponry.
United States spending on the Manhattan Project and selected weapon types during the Second World War from 1941 to 1945
(in billion U.S. dollars)
Area of spending (share of total U.S. defense budget)
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Thames & Hudson. (December 31, 2021). United States spending on the Manhattan Project and selected weapon types during the Second World War from 1941 to 1945 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1247453/us-spending-explosive-programs-wwii/
Thames & Hudson. "United States spending on the Manhattan Project and selected weapon types during the Second World War from 1941 to 1945 (in billion U.S. dollars)." Chart. December 31, 2021. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1247453/us-spending-explosive-programs-wwii/
Thames & Hudson. (2021). United States spending on the Manhattan Project and selected weapon types during the Second World War from 1941 to 1945 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1247453/us-spending-explosive-programs-wwii/
Thames & Hudson. "United States Spending on The Manhattan Project and Selected Weapon Types during The Second World War from 1941 to 1945 (in Billion U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Dec 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1247453/us-spending-explosive-programs-wwii/
Thames & Hudson, United States spending on the Manhattan Project and selected weapon types during the Second World War from 1941 to 1945 (in billion U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1247453/us-spending-explosive-programs-wwii/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
United States spending on the Manhattan Project and selected weapon types during the Second World War from 1941 to 1945 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph], Thames & Hudson, December 31, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1247453/us-spending-explosive-programs-wwii/