Global military spending reached $2.443 trillion in 2023, marking a 6.8% increase compared to the previous year and the highest growth rate since 2009.
This information comes from a study conducted by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Military spending worldwide has been increasing for the ninth consecutive year. For the first time since 2009, military spending increased in all five geographic regions identified by SIPRI, with particularly significant growth observed in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East.
"The unprecedented growth in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration of peace and security," said Nan Tian, Senior Researcher of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.
"States are favoring military power, but they risk unleashing a spiral of action-reaction in an increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape and security environment," he added.
The top 10 spenders in 2023—led by the United States, China, and Russia—all increased their military expenditures.
Russia's military spending increased by 24% to $109 billion in 2023, marking a 57% increase since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. In 2023, Russia's military spending accounted for 16% of total government expenditures, with its military burden (military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product, GDP) standing at 5.9%.
In 2023, Ukraine ranked eighth in terms of expenditure, with a sharp increase of 51% to $64.8 billion. This resulted in a military burden of 37% on Ukraine and accounted for 58% of total government spending.
Ukraine's military spending in 2023 amounted to 59% of Russia's spending. However, throughout the year, Ukraine also received at least $35 billion in military assistance, including $25.4 billion from the United States. Together, this assistance and Ukraine's own military spending accounted for approximately 91% of Russia's spending.
In 2023, NATO's 31 members collectively spent $1.341 trillion, representing 55% of global military spending. U.S. military spending increased by 2.3% to $916 billion in 2023, accounting for 68% of NATO's total military spending. In 2023, most European NATO members increased their military spending. Their combined share in NATO reached 28%, the highest in a decade. The remaining 4% came from Canada and Turkey.
Ten years after NATO members officially committed to spending 2% of GDP on military needs, 11 out of 31 NATO members reached or exceeded this level in 2023—the highest number since the commitment was made. Another target—allocating at least 20% of military spending to "equipment expenditures"—was achieved by 28 NATO members in 2023, compared to 7 in 2014.
Among European countries, Poland saw the greatest growth, currently ranking 14th in the world for military spending. The country's expenditures reached $31.6 billion after a 75% increase between 2022 and 2023, marking the highest annual growth among European countries.
China, the world's second-largest spender on military expenditures, allocated approximately $296 billion to military needs in 2023, a 6.0% increase compared to 2022. This marked the 29th consecutive year of growth in China's military spending. China accounts for half of the total military spending in the Asia-Pacific region. Several of China's neighbors have linked their increased spending to China's growing military expenditures.
