World military expenditure reached USD 2.718 trillion (EUR 2.4 trillion) in 2024: an increase of 9.4% in real terms from 2023 and the steepest year-on-year rise since at least the end of the Cold War, according to new data published on 28 April 2025 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
While SIPRI noted that more than 100 countries around the world raised their military spending in 2024, the institute noted that military spending in Europe (including Russia) rose by 17% to USD 693 billion and was the main contributor to the global increase in 2024.
“With the war in Ukraine in its third year, military expenditure kept rising across the continent, pushing European military spending beyond the level recorded at the end of the Cold War. All European countries increased their military spending in 2024 except Malta, SIPRI reported.
“Russia once again significantly increased its military spending, widening the spending gap with Ukraine,” noted Diego Lopes da Silva, senior researcher with the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. “Ukraine currently allocates all of its tax revenues to its military. In such a tight fiscal space, it will be challenging for Ukraine to keep increasing its military spending.”
Several countries in Central and Western Europe saw unprecedented rises in their military expenditure in 2024 as they implemented new spending pledges and large-scale procurement plans. Germany’s military expenditure increased by 28% to reach USD 88.5 billion, making it the biggest spender in Central and Western Europe and the fourth biggest in the world. Poland’s military spending, meanwhile, grew by 31% to USD 38.0 billion in 2024, representing 4.2% of Poland’s GDP.
All NATO members increased their military expenditure in 2024 and, according to SIPRI, total military spending by NATO members amounted to USD 1.506 trillion, or 55% of global military expenditure. Of the 32 NATO members, 18 spent at least 2.0% of GDP on their militaries, according to SIPRI methodology, which was up from 11 in 2023 and the highest number since NATO adopted the 2% spending guideline in 2014.
Military spending by the United States rose by 5.7% to reach USD 997 billion, which was 66% of total NATO spending and 37% of world military spending in 2024, SIPRI reported. A significant portion of the US budget for 2024 was dedicated to modernising military capabilities and the US nuclear arsenal in order to maintain a strategic advantage over Russia and China. European NATO members spent USD 454 billion in total, representing 30% of total spending across the alliance.
“The rapid spending increases among European NATO members were driven mainly by the ongoing Russian threat and concerns about possible US disengagement within the alliance,” said Jade Guiberteau Ricard, researcher with the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. “It is worth saying that boosting spending alone will not necessarily translate into significantly greater military capability or independence from the USA. Those are far more complex tasks.”
Military expenditure in the Middle East reached an estimated USD 243 billion in 2024: an increase of 15% from 2023 and 19% more than in 2015, according to SIPRI. Major rises were limited to Israel and Lebanon, however. Israel’s military expenditure surged by 65% to USD 46.5 billion in 2024 – the steepest annual increase since the Six-Day War in 1967 – as it continued to wage war in Gaza and escalated conflict with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Its military burden rose to 8.8% of GDP: the second highest in the world. Lebanon’s military spending rose by 58% in 2024 to USD 635 million after several years of lower spending due to economic crisis and political turmoil.
Iran’s military spending fell by 10% in real terms to USD 7.9 billion in 2024 despite its involvement in regional conflicts and its support for regional proxies. The impact of sanctions on Iran severely limited its capacity to increase spending, SIPRI noted.
China, the world’s second largest military spender, increased its military expenditure by 7.0% to an estimated USD 314 billion, marking three decades of consecutive growth. China accounted for 50% of all military spending in Asia and Oceania, investing in the continued modernisation of its military and expansion of its cyber warfare capabilities and nuclear arsenal.
Japan’s military spending rose by 21% to USD 55.3 billion in 2024: the largest annual increase since 1952. Its military burden reached 1.4% of GDP, which was the highest since 1958. India’s military expenditure, the fifth largest globally, grew by 1.6% to USD 86.1 billion. Spending by Taiwan grew by 1.8% in 2024 to reach USD 16.5 billion.
“Major military spenders in the Asia–Pacific region are investing increasing resources into advanced military capabilities,” said Nan Tian, director of the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. “With several unresolved disputes and mounting tensions, these investments risk sending the region into a dangerous arms-race spiral.”
Among other notable highlights recorded by SIPRI were the following:
- In 2024 the United Kingdom increased its military expenditure by 2.8% to reach USD 81.8 billion, making it the sixth biggest spender worldwide. Military expenditure by France rose by 6.1% to reach USD 64.7 billion, making it the ninth biggest spender.
- Sweden increased its military expenditure by 34% in 2024 to USD 12.0 billion. In its first year of NATO membership, Sweden’s military burden reached 2.0% of GDP.
- Saudi Arabia was the largest military spender in the Middle East in 2024 and the seventh largest worldwide. Its military spending saw a modest increase of 1.5%, reaching an estimated USD 80.3 billion, but still 20% lower than in 2015 when the country’s oil revenues peaked.
- Military spending by Myanmar surged by 66% in 2024 to an estimated USD 5.0 billion – the highest rate of increase in Asia and Oceania – as internal conflicts there intensified.
- Mexico’s military spending rose by 39% to USD 16.7 billion in 2024, primarily due to increased funding for the National Guard and the navy, which are involved in the government’s militarised response to organised crime.
- Military expenditure in Africa totalled USD 52.1 billion in 2024, a 3.0% increase from 2023 and 11% higher than in 2015.
