Global Military Spending Rises Despite US Decline Over Ukraine Freeze
Expenditure increases to $2.89 trillion in 2025, highest level since 2009, as Europe leads growth with a 14% rise.
STOCKHOLM: Global military spending rose by 2.9 percent in 2025, despite a 7.5 percent decline in the United States due to President Donald Trump's halt on new financial military aid to Ukraine, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released on Monday.
The total expenditure reached $2.89 trillion in 2025, marking an eleventh consecutive year of growth and raising military spending as a share of global gross domestic product (GDP) to its highest level since 2009 at 2.5 percent.The top three military spenders— the United States, China, and Russia — combined for $1.48 trillion or 51 percent of global spending.
The United States saw its military spending fall to $954 billion in 2025 due to the lack of new financial military assistance for Ukraine, with previous aid totalling $127 billion over the preceding three years.SIPRI predicts that this decline is likely to be temporary, noting that US Congress approved over $1 trillion in military spending for 2026, a significant increase from 2025.
The main driver of increased global spending was Europe's 14 percent rise to $864 billion.
Russia and Ukraine continued to escalate their military spending amid ongoing conflict, while Central and Western European NATO members drove the highest annual growth since the end of the Cold War.Spending in Israel decreased by 4.9 percent to $48.3 billion following a downturn in the Gaza war, while Iran's military expenditure declined for the second consecutive year by 5.6 percent to $7.4 billion.
The total expenditure reached $2.89 trillion in 2025, marking an eleventh consecutive year of growth and raising military spending as a share of global gross domestic product (GDP) to its highest level since 2009 at 2.5 percent.The top three military spenders— the United States, China, and Russia — combined for $1.48 trillion or 51 percent of global spending.
The United States saw its military spending fall to $954 billion in 2025 due to the lack of new financial military assistance for Ukraine, with previous aid totalling $127 billion over the preceding three years.SIPRI predicts that this decline is likely to be temporary, noting that US Congress approved over $1 trillion in military spending for 2026, a significant increase from 2025.
The main driver of increased global spending was Europe's 14 percent rise to $864 billion.
Russia and Ukraine continued to escalate their military spending amid ongoing conflict, while Central and Western European NATO members drove the highest annual growth since the end of the Cold War.Spending in Israel decreased by 4.9 percent to $48.3 billion following a downturn in the Gaza war, while Iran's military expenditure declined for the second consecutive year by 5.6 percent to $7.4 billion.
