Military expenditure worldwide, considerably higher, strongest increase since the end of the Cold War

The worldwide spending on Defense increased by 9.4 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, the strongest increase since the early 1990s when the Cold War came to an end. Together, all countries in the world spent $ 2,718 billion on military means. This spends 2.5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to the Ministry of Defense worldwide. This is evident from annual research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) that was published this Monday.

In the past ten years there has been an increase every year. The research institute attributes this to the great geopolitical tensions and military conflicts, in particular those between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East. Expenditure in all regions of the world rose for the second year in a row. The United States, China, Russia, Germany and India – the five countries with the highest military editions – accounted for 60 percent of the total, with a combined edition of 1,635 billion dollars worldwide. Based on budgets and plans, the Sipri predicts that the increase will continue in the coming years.

The large increase in defense spending in Europe does not surprisingly attribute the Sipri to the war in Ukraine. Russia increased military spending in 2024 to 7.1 percent of GDP. It concerned $ 149 billion, an increase of 38 percent compared to 2023 and doubling compared to 2015. Of all government spending, Russia spends 19 percent on Defense. The spending gap with Ukraine, the institute states, so increased considerably: the Inzelenky government could increase military expenses by only 2.9 percent, to $ 64.7 billion. Ukraine spends 34 percent of his GDP, and thus, according to Sipri, all tax revenues, on his defense.

About Russia, the institute states that it is difficult to estimate the expenditure precisely and that they may be higher because regional budgets and sources are addressed than those of the national government. Another important nuance is that the Russians themselves produce relatively cheap weapons in large quantities and compared to, for example, NATO countries.

Russia does not all turn on his extra military means for the war in Ukraine. The Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) came up with the report last week that Russia did not go to Ukraine, but especially in the direction of the border with NATO, for example with the Baltic States. The Russian war industry, as the intelligence service noted, now produces more military equipment than Moscow needs on the Ukrainian front.

Germany in top five

The 32 NATO countries let the defense spending 8.9 percent rise to $ 1,506 billion. The European countries contributed relatively more than in 2023: their share in the total NATO spending increased from 28 to 30 percent. Germany rose from place 7 to 4 in the worldwide ranking, especially because spending promises and purchasing plans were carried out. In 2022, Germany made the decision to invest 100 billion extra in the armed forces. The German parliament recently agreed with a budget of another 500 billion euros for Defense.

After Ukraine, with 8.8 percent of GDP, Israel spends the most on the armed forces, which has been carrying war in Gaza since October 2023 and invaded South Lebanon last year to fight Hezbollah. Israel’s military editions in 2024 increased by 65 percent, according to the Sipri the strongest annual increase since the six -day war in 1967.

The researchers at the Swedish Institute write that the strong growth of military expenditures can also have great social consequences. « The reorientation of social expenses or international help to release resources can negatively influence socio-economic protection and increase economic and social inequality. »

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