World military expenditure reached US $2887 billion in 2025, according to new data published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)-an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament established in 1966.
An increase of 2.9 per cent in real terms over 2024, it is the 11th year of consecutive rises, bringing the global military burden—military expenditure as a share of gross domestic product (GDP)—to 2.5 per cent, its highest level since 2009, SIPRI press release added.
Military spending declined in the United States but rose by 14 per cent in Europe and by 8.1 per cent in Asia and Oceania.
The USA, China and Russia are the top three military spenders with a combined spent total of US $1480 billion, or 51 per cent of the global total. However, the USA increased investments in both nuclear and conventional military capabilities to maintain dominance in the Western Hemisphere and deter China in the Indo-Pacific, which are key goals of the new National Security Strategy.
The main contributor to the global increase in military spending in 2025 was a 14 per cent rise in Europe to US $864 billion. Spending by Russia and Ukraine continued to grow in the fourth year of the war in Ukraine. Russia’s military spending grew by 5.9 per cent in 2025 to US $190 billion while Ukraine, the seventh largest spender in 2025, increased its spending by 20 per cent to US $84.1 billion.
The 29 European NATO members spent a combined total of US $559 billion in 2025, and 22 of them had military spending of at least 2.0 per cent of GDP, according to SIPRI’s methodology.
Germany was the largest military spender in the group, with its expenditure growing by 24 per cent year-on-year to $114 billion.
Military expenditure in the Middle East reached an estimated US $218 billion in 2025. The military expenditure of Israel decreased by 4.9 per cent to US $48.3 billion, reflecting a reduction in the intensity of the war in Gaza during 2025 after the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in January 2025. Nevertheless, Israel’s spending remained 97 per cent higher than in 2022.
Military spending by Türkiye grew by 7.2 per cent in 2025 to $30.0 billion, partly driven by its ongoing military operations in Iraq, Somalia and Syria.
Spending by Iran declined for the second consecutive year, falling by 5.6 per cent to $7.4 billion in 2025.
Military expenditure in Asia and Oceania totalled US $681 billion in 2025, 8.1 per cent higher than in 2024—the largest annual rise since 2009. China, the world’s second largest military spender, increased its military spending by 7.4 per cent to US $336 billion. This was the 31st consecutive year-on-year increase as China continued its military modernization drive.
Japan’s military expenditure rose by 9.7 per cent to reach US $62.2 billion in 2025, the highest share since 1958. Taiwan’s military spending rose by 14 per cent to US $18.2 billion, the largest annual increase since at least 1988, against a backdrop of intensifying military exercises around the island by the People’s Liberation Army.
Between 2024 and 2025, military spending by the United Kingdom decreased by 2.0 per cent to US $89.0 billion. France’s military expenditure rose by 1.5 per cent to US $68.0 billion in the same period.
India, the fifth biggest military spender in the world in 2025, increased its military spending by 8.9 per cent to US $92.1 billion. Pakistan’s military spending increased by 11 per cent to US $11.9 billion.
Saudi Arabia’s military spending increased by 1.4 per cent to reach US $83.2 billion, making it the eighth biggest military spender in the world.
Total military spending in Africa increased by 8.5 per cent in 2025 to reach US $58.2 billion. Nigeria’s military expenditure grew by 55 per cent to US $2.1 billion in 2025. Guyana’s military expenditure increased by 16 per cent to US $248 million in 2025.
