Global military spending surged to an unprecedented $2.4 trillion in 2023, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth. According to a new fact sheet by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), this 6.8% rise represents the sharpest year-on-year increase since 2009.
This upward trend has pushed military expenditure to the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI. Additionally, the world military burden—military spending as a percentage of global GDP—climbed to 2.3% in 2023, while average military expenditure as a share of government budgets increased by 0.4 percentage points to 6.9%. Per capita military spending also reached its highest level since 1990, standing at $306.
Several geopolitical factors contributed to the dramatic rise in military expenditure in 2023. The ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating tensions in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East were primary drivers of increased defense budgets globally. Military spending increased across all geographical regions, with significant growth seen in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East.
From traditional geopolitical adversaries like China and Russia to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East involving Iran, Hamas, and the Ukraine War, these threats are further compounded by emerging challenges. North Korea’s aggressive posture, Islamist extremism in Africa, and cyber threats are major concerns, while new arenas of conflict are emerging in space and the Arctic. Additionally, transnational criminal organizations, drone warfare, climate change impacts, and the unpredictable nature of global conflicts create a multi-layered, costly security challenge for nations worldwide. This diverse spectrum of threats underscores the increasing demands on national defense budgets and strategic planning, as governments seek to address both conventional and unconventional security risks.
World military expenditure remains concentrated among a few countries, with the United States and China alone accounting for nearly half of the total in 2023. The top 10 largest spenders, which also include countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, and India, made up 74% of the global total, equating to $1.799 trillion. This was a $105 billion increase from the previous year. All of the top 10 countries saw a rise in military spending in 2023, with Ukraine recording the largest percentage increase. Its military expenditure soared by 51% to $64.8 billion, elevating it from the 11th largest spender in 2022 to the 8th largest in 2023.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense made headlines last Friday by requesting a record $58.7 billion budget for 2024. This significant increase is part of Japan’s broader plan to boost its military spending by over 60% over the next five years. The move reflects Japan’s growing concern over regional security threats, particularly from China and North Korea, as well as its commitment to enhancing its defense capabilities in line with its new national security strategy. This proposal is seen as part of Japan’s shift away from its post-World War II pacifist stance, prioritizing greater military strength to navigate escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
The military burden—defined as military expenditure as a share of GDP—rose in all of the top 10 spenders in 2023, with Ukraine experiencing the most dramatic increase. Ukraine’s military burden jumped by 11 percentage points, reaching 37% of GDP. Russia followed, with its military burden growing by 1.2 percentage points to 5.9%. Military spending as a share of total government expenditure also rose in nine of the top 10 spenders, except for the USA, where this metric slightly decreased. Ukraine led the pack, dedicating 58% of its government budget to defense, followed by Saudi Arabia (24%) and Russia (16%). The largest increases in government expenditure on the military were seen in Ukraine (+19 percentage points) and Russia (+3.2 percentage points).
The United States continued to be the world’s largest military spender by a significant margin, allocating $916 billion to its defense budget in 2023, a 2.3% increase from 2022. The U.S. defense budget was 3.1 times larger than that of China, the second-largest spender. A significant portion of U.S. military spending went towards “research, development, test, and evaluation” (RDT&E), which saw a 9.4% increase in real terms from 2022. The U.S. has prioritized RDT&E since 2014, as part of a strategic shift away from counter-insurgency operations towards developing new weapons systems for potential conflicts with adversaries possessing advanced military capabilities.
The SIPRI data paints a clear picture of a world increasingly focused on military preparedness amidst rising geopolitical tensions. As military spending continues to rise globally, the financial and strategic priorities of nations will likely remain shaped by evolving conflicts and shifting power dynamics.
