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Global military expenditure witnessed an unprecedented surge in 2024, reaching an all-time high of $2.718 trillion, according to new data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on April 28, 2025. This figure represents a 9.4% increase in real terms from 2023, marking the steepest year-on-year rise since at least 1988, near the end of the Cold War. The year 2024 was also the tenth consecutive year of rising global military spending.
The global military burden—the share of the world's gross domestic product (GDP) devoted to military expenditure—increased to 2.5% in 2024. World military spending per person also reached its highest level since 1990, at $334. SIPRI noted that for the second year in a row, military expenditure increased in all five of the world's geographical regions, reflecting heightened geopolitical tensions across the globe.
Top Spenders Dominate Global Total
The five biggest military spenders in 2024 were the United States, China, Russia, Germany, and India, which together accounted for 60% of the world's total military spending. Their individual expenditures were:
- United States: $997 billion, a 5.7% increase from 2023. The US accounted for 37% of global military expenditure and 66% of total NATO spending. A significant portion of its budget was dedicated to modernizing military capabilities and its nuclear arsenal.
- China: Estimated $314 billion, marking a 7% increase from 2023 and its 30th consecutive year of increased military spending. China accounted for 12% of the global military budget.
- Russia: Estimated $149 billion, a substantial 38% increase from 2023. This spending represented 7.1% of Russia's GDP.
- Germany: $88.5 billion, a significant 28% increase from the previous year. This made Germany the fourth-largest spender globally (up from seventh in 2023) and the largest in Central and Western Europe for the first time since reunification.
- India: $86.1 billion, a 1.6% increase over 2023. India dropped from fourth to fifth place in global rankings.
Wars and Regional Tensions Fuel Spending Surge
The primary drivers behind this dramatic rise in global military expenditure include ongoing conflicts, particularly the war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza, alongside escalating geopolitical tensions in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Military spending in Europe saw a particularly sharp increase, rising by 17% to $693 billion in 2024, and was a main contributor to the global increase. All European countries, except Malta, increased their military spending. NATO members' total military spending reached $1.506 trillion, accounting for 55% of global expenditure. In 2024, 18 of the 32 NATO members spent at least 2.0% of their GDP on their militaries, up from 11 in 2023.
Ukraine became the eighth-largest military spender in 2024, with its expenditure increasing by 2.9% to $64.7 billion. This represented 34% of its GDP, giving Ukraine the largest military burden of any country in the world by this measure.
The Middle East also saw a significant surge in military spending, estimated at $243 billion in 2024, a 15% increase from 2023. Israel's military expenditure, in particular, surged by 65% to $46.5 billion due to its ongoing war in Gaza and conflict with Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia remained the largest spender in the region and seventh worldwide at $80.3 billion.
In Asia and Oceania, military budgets also rose amid heightened tensions. China's continued military build-up has influenced the policies of its neighbors, with Japan, for instance, increasing its military budget by 21% to $55.3 billion, its largest annual rise since 1952. Myanmar recorded a 66% jump in defence spending in 2024 as internal conflicts intensified.
The data from SIPRI highlights a world increasingly prioritizing military security, a trend that, as SIPRI researchers note, could have significant economic and social trade-offs for years to come.
The information presented in this article is based on the "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2024" report and data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in April 2025. The initial prompt for this article was a DW News social media post summarizing some of these findings.
