India’s military spend “fifth largest”

According to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s military expenditure grew by 8.5 per cent in 2016 to $55.9 billion, making it the fifth largest spender in the world. The figures include expenditure on paramilitary forces of the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Assam Rifles, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Sashastra Seema Bal but do not include spending on military nuclear activities.

The top four in the list of military spenders in 2016 were the United States ($611 billion), China ($215 billion), Russia ($69.2 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($63.7 billion). In the top five, India had the highest percentage growth rate while spending by Saudi Arabia fell 30 per cent in 2016, despite its continued involvement in regional wars. Pakistan spent $9.93 billion on its military.