6.8% increase compared to the previous year, the highest since 2009
The result of deploying troops for war and suppressing domestic riots
Russia accounts for 16% of the government’s total expenditure
The highest level since the dissolution of the Soviet Union
South Korea, moving down from 10th to 11th place
Last year’s global military spending hit a record high. Even excluding warring nations, the number of countries strengthening their armaments is growing due to the Ukraine and Israeli wars.
According to the Guardian, on the 21st (local time), the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that last year’s global military spending reached $2.443 trillion. The gross military expenditure has surged for nine consecutive years and is sky-scraping. The growth rate from the previous year was 6.8%, the highest since 2009.
The United States, which accounts for about 40% of global military spending, was $916 billion, up 2.3%. China was second with $296 billion, up 6%, and Russia was third with $109 billion, up 24%.
The protracted Ukraine war seems to have influenced Russia’s instance, with military spending accounting for 16% of the government’s total expenditure. The ratio was the highest since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. However, SIPRI explained that the tally may not be accurate due to the increased opacity of Russian financial authorities after the war.
Ukraine, at war with Russia, Ukraine recorded $64.8 billion, a 51% increase from 11th to 8th in the world. The Guardian added that the $35 billion received in support from the United States and others would be equivalent to Russia’s military spending.
Israel, which started a war with the Palestinian armed group Hamas last October, was recorded at $27.5 billion, a 24% increase. This was the second-highest expenditure in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia.
Nan Tian, a senior researcher at SIPRI who wrote the report, scrutinized, “The global military spending spiraled upward last year is preponderantly due to the escalation of the Ukraine war and geopolitical tensions in Asia and the Middle East.” He added, “Military spending has increased on all five continents. The global per capita military spending recorded the highest since 1990 at $306.”
Countries fighting wars not with geopolitical threats but with domestic gangs also increased their military spending. Notably, the Democratic Republic of Congo increased military spending by 105% in one year, and South Sudan’s military spending swelled by 78%. The expenditure in Central America and the Caribbean, where gang wars are frequent, increased by 54% compared to ten years ago.
Diego Lopes da Silva, a researcher at SIPRI, pointed out, “The trend of using the military to suppress gang violence has been increasing in these regions for years, as the government fails to solve problems with existing means or prefers immediate methods.”
Meanwhile, South Korea spent $47.9 billion on military expenses last year. This is a 1.1% increase from the previous year. The ranking dropped from 10th to 11th. Japan increased by 11% to $50.2 billion, falling from 11th to 10th.
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