Global military spending increases by 2.9% - The main contributor was Europe with 864 billion dollars
Global military spending rose by 2.9% in 2025, despite a 7.5% drop in the United States after President Donald Trump halted new military financial aid to Ukraine, according to a report by a conflict research organization.
Spending rose to $2.89 trillion in 2025, for the 11th consecutive year and bringing spending as a share of global gross domestic product (GDP) to 2.5%, the highest level since 2009, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
"Given the range of current crises, as well as the long-term military spending objectives of many states, this increase is likely to continue until 2026 and beyond," SIPRI said in the report.
The top three military spenders, the US, China and Russia, accounted for a total of $1.48 trillion, or 51% of global spending.
US military spending fell to $954 billion in 2025, largely because no new military financial assistance was approved for Ukraine, the report said. In the previous three years, US military funding for Ukraine totaled $127 billion.
"The decline in US military spending in 2025 is likely to be short-lived," SIPRI said.
"Spending approved by the US Congress for 2026 has increased to over $1 trillion, a significant increase from 2025, and could increase further to $1.5 trillion in 2027," she said.
The main contributor to the higher global spending was a 14% increase in Europe to $864 billion.
Spending by Russia and Ukraine continued to rise in the fourth year of the war, while increases by European members of the NATO alliance led to the sharpest annual growth in Central and Western Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Spending by Israel fell by 4.9% to $48.3 billion as the war in Gaza ended in 2025, while spending on Iran fell for the second consecutive year, falling by 5.6% to $7.4 billion.
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