The USA has a GDP of $27.4 trillion compared to Russia's $2.1 trillion, making it the world's largest economy. Russia maintains a larger landmass at 17.1 million km² but faces significant international sanctions and lower per-capita income, while the USA leads in technological innovation, military spending, and global influence.
Russia vs USA — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
The USA dominates in economic output, military capacity, technological innovation, and per-capita living standards, while Russia maintains geographic advantages and natural resources but faces economic constraints from sanctions and lower development indicators. Choose the USA if analyzing global economic leadership, technological advancement, and institutional development. Choose Russia if studying geopolitical diversity, geographic scale, or energy markets.
Compare United States of America vs Russian Federation
Federal republic with advanced economy, dominant military, and technological innovation leadership.
Vast landmass with significant natural resources but constrained by international sanctions and lower economic output.
Structured comparison data for Russia vs USA with 118 attributes.
Combined Global Economic Share (Nominal)
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2024-2026)
Russia vs USA — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Russia vs USA.
Why is the US economy so much larger than Russia's despite similar populations historically?
The USA's economy is 13 times larger due to higher productivity per worker ($81,000 vs $14,600 per capita GDP), advanced technological infrastructure, diverse industrial base beyond commodities, stable institutions attracting foreign investment, and access to global capital markets. Russia's economy heavily depends on energy exports (40% of government revenue), which creates vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations and limits diversification.
How much does Russia spend on military compared to the USA?
The USA spent $820 billion on defense in 2024, approximately 9.5 times Russia's $86 billion. Despite lower spending, Russia maintains the second-largest military by size with 1.3 million active personnel and a nuclear arsenal of 6,257 warheads. However, the USA's military advantage in technology, naval capacity, and air power is overwhelming.
What are Russia's main economic strengths despite having a smaller GDP?
Russia possesses the world's largest natural gas reserves, significant oil reserves, and abundant mineral resources including rare earths. It maintains a space program with advanced capabilities and holds strategic geographic position spanning Europe and Asia. However, these assets are vulnerable to international sanctions and commodity price volatility, limiting broader economic development.
How have sanctions affected Russia's economy since 2022?
Post-2022 sanctions reduced Russia's GDP growth, limited access to Western semiconductors and technology, disrupted financial systems, and caused capital flight estimated at $60+ billion annually. Russia's economy contracted 2.1% in 2022 but showed resilience in 2023-2024 through import substitution and redirected trade toward China and India, though long-term technological competitiveness remains impaired.
Which country has better living standards?
The USA has significantly higher living standards measured by HDI (0.921 vs 0.822), per-capita income ($81,000 vs $14,600), healthcare access, internet connectivity (91% vs 87%), and life expectancy (78.9 vs 71.6 years). Russia's HDI still qualifies as 'Very High' but lags considerably, with income inequality and regional disparities more pronounced than in the USA.