Global military spending surges amid war and rising tensions
Stockholm, Sweden – Total global military expenditure reached $2.443tn in 2023, an increase of 6.8% in real terms from 2022. This was the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009, according to a new report.
The 10 largest spenders in 2023 – led by the United States, China and Russia – all increased their military spending, according to new data on global military spending published Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
World military expenditure rose for the ninth consecutive year to an all-time high of $2.443tn. For the first time since 2009, military expenditure went up in all five of the geographical regions defined by SIPRI, with particularly large increases recorded in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East.
“The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security,” said Nan Tian, Senior Researcher with SIPRI’S Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. “States are prioritising military strength but they risk an action– reaction spiral in the increasingly volatile security landscape.”
Russia and Ukraine
Russia’s military spending increased by 24% to an estimated $109bn in 2023, marking a 57% rise since 2014, the year that Russia annexed Crimea. In 2023 Russia’s military spending made up 16% of total government spending and its military burden (military spending as a share of gross domestic product, GDP) was 5.9%.
Ukraine was the eighth largest spender in 2023, after a spending surge of 51% to reach $64.8bn. Ukraine’s military spending in 2023 was 59% the size of Russia’s. However, Ukraine also received at least $35bn in military aid during the year, including $25.4bn from the US.
US remains NATO’S major spender
In 2023 the 31 NATO members accounted for $1.341tn, equal to 55% of the world’s military expenditure. Military spending by the US rose by 2.3% to reach $916bn in 2023, representing 68% of total NATO military spending.
In 2023 most European NATO members increased their military expenditure. Their combined share of the NATO total was 28%, the highest in a decade. The remaining 4% came from Canada and Türkiye.
A decade after NATO members formally committed to a target of spending 2% of GDP on the military, 11 out of 31 NATO members met or surpassed this level in 2023 – the highest number since the commitment was made.
China
China, the world’s second largest military spender, allocated an estimated $296bn to the military in 2023, an increase of 6.0% from 2022. This was the 29th consecutive year-on-year rise in China’s military expenditure. China accounted for half of total military spending across the Asia and Oceania region. Several of China’s neighbours have linked their own spending increases to China’s rising military expenditure.
Japan allocated $50.2bn to its military in 2023, which was 11% more than in 2022. Taiwan’s military expenditure also grew by 11% in 2023, reaching $16.6bn.
India was the fourth largest military spender globally in 2023. At $83.6bn, its military expenditure was 4.2% higher than in 2022.
Middle East
War and tensions in the Middle East fuel biggest spending increase of past decade
Estimated military expenditure in the Middle East increased by 9.0% to $200bn in 2023. This was the highest annual growth rate in the region seen in the past decade.
Israel’s military spending – the second largest in the region after Saudi Arabia – grew by 24% to reach $27.5bn in 2023. The spending increase was mainly driven by Israel’s large-scale offensive in Gaza in response to the attack on southern Israel by Hamas in October 2023.
Iran was the fourth largest military spender in the Middle East in 2023 with $10.3bn. According to available data, the share of military spending allocated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps grew from 27% to 37% between 2019 and 2023.
Estimated military expenditure in the Middle East increased by 9.0% to $200bn in 2023. This was the highest annual growth rate in the region seen in the past decade