On April 22, 2024, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its report titled ‘Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2023’. According to the report, the total global military expenditure increased for the 9th consecutive year to an all-time high of USD 2443 billion in 2023, an increase of 6.8% in real terms from 2022. This is the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009.
- The top 5 military spenders in 2023 are the United States of America(USA)(1st), China(2nd), Russia(3rd), India (4th) and Saudi Arabia(5th), which together accounted for 61% of world military spending.
Reason behind this Increase:
The increase in global military spending in 2023 was mainly due to the Ukraine conflict and rising tensions in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East. All 5 geographical regions saw higher military expenditure, especially in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East.
Indian Scenario:
i.With a military expenditure of USD 83.6 billion in 2023, India was the 4th largest spender globally. India’s military spending has increased by 4.2% from 2022 and 44% from 2014.
ii.This increase was mainly due to rising personnel and operations costs, constituting nearly 80% of the total budget.
iii.Capital outlays for military procurement remained stable at around 22% of the budget.
- 75% of these outlays were allocated to domestically produced equipment, the highest ever and up from 68% in 2022.
iv.This shift towards domestic procurement aligns with India’s aim of achieving self-reliance in arms development and production.
Top 5 largest Spenders in 2023:
| Rank (2023) | Rank (2022) | Country | Spending (USD/Billion) | Share of World Spending (%) in 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | USA | 916 | 37 |
| 2 | 2 | China | 296 | 12 |
| 3 | 3 | Russia | 109 | 4.5 |
| 4 | 4 | India | 83.6 | 3.4 |
| 5 | 5 | Saudi Arabia | 75.8 | 3.1 |
- The top largest spenders includes the United Kingdom (UK) (6th), Germany (7th), Ukraine (8th), France (9th), and Japan (10th).
Highlights:
i.World military burden/Total Military Expenditure rose to 2.3% of global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023.
- World military burden is defined as military spending as a percentage of global GDP.
ii.Average military spending as a share of government expenditure increased by 0.4% to 6.9% in 2023.
iii.Global military spending per person reached its highest level since 1990, at USD 306.
iv.On the regional front, countries in the Americas accounted for 41% of the world’s military spending in 2023. It is followed by Asia and Oceania (24%), Europe (24%), the Middle East (8.2%) and Africa (2.1%).
- Military spending in Asia and Oceania reached USD 595 billion in 2023, up by 4.4% from 2022 and 46% from 2014.
- China and its neighbors, including East Asian countries and India, were the main contributors to this regional increase.
Key Points:
i.In 2023, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members, including the USA, collectively spent USD 1341 billion. This accounts for around 55% of global military spending.
- The USA’s spending accounted for around 68% of NATO’s total.
ii.Most European NATO members increased their military spending, contributing 28% of the total, the highest in ten years.
- Canada and Türkiye contributed 4%.
- Poland experienced the largest annual increase in military spending among European countries, growing by 75% to USD 31.6 billion, ranking 14th globally
iii.The Democratic Republic of the Congo saw the largest percentage increase in military spending (+105%), followed by South Sudan (+78%), and Ukraine (+51%).
iv.Among the top 10 spenders, Ukraine allocated the highest proportion of government expenditure to military spending (58%), followed by Saudi Arabia (24%) and Russia (16%).
- Ukraine’s military spending surged by 51% to USD 64.8 billion in 2023, moving from the 11th to the 8th largest spender globally.
v.Saudi Arabia increased its military spending by 4.3% to an estimated $75.8 billion, maintaining its position as the Middle East’s largest spender.
vi.China’s military spending continued to rise for the 29th consecutive year, increasing by 6% to an estimated USD 296 billion.
Note:
The SIPRI Military Expenditure Database offers data on military spending by country from 1949 to 2023. It includes figures in various formats. The database was last updated on April 22, 2024, superseding all previous versions.
Recent Related News:
i.SIPRI released its publication titled ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2023’ stating India as world’s top arms importer for the period 2019-23 with imports increased by 4.7% compared to the period 2014-18. India accounts for 9.8% of the total global imports in 2019-2023. Russia remains India’s top arms supplier at 36%, however, it’s the first time since 1960–64 that their deliveries comprised less than half of India’s imports.
ii.The United States(US) Department of State has approved the sale of 31 MQ-9B Armed Drones and other related equipments to India. The estimated cost of the deal is around USD 3.99 billion (Rs 33060 crore).
About SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute):
It is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
Chair of the SIPRI Governing Board – Stefan Löfven
Director– Dan Smith
Headquarters – Solna, Sweden
Establishment – 1966
