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Global military spending hits record $2.9 trillion

Militaries - Level 0

Military spending hit a record in 2025. A peace institute said global defence spending was nearly $2.9 trillion last year. Spending has gone up for eleven years in a row. Europe's defence spending increased by 14 per cent. The Asia-Oceania region increased its spending by 8.1 per cent. The USA is the biggest spender.

There are several reasons for the record levels of spending. One reason is that NATO countries met their spending targets. Another reason is the Russia-Ukraine war. Russia spent around 7.5 per cent of its GDP. Ukraine spent 40 per cent. The peace institute said countries are spending more because of today's wars.

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Militaries - Level 1

Military spending hit a record in 2025. New data published by a peace research institute said global defence spending was nearly $2.9 trillion last year. This was a three per cent rise from 2024. Spending has gone up for eleven years in a row. Europe's defence spending increased by 14 per cent, to $864 billion. The Asia-Oceania region increased its spending by 8.1 per cent. The USA is the biggest spender. It spent $954 billion on its military last year.

There are several reasons for the record levels of spending. One reason is that NATO members met their spending targets. Another reason is the Russia-Ukraine war. This is now five years old. Russia spent around 7.5 per cent of its GDP. Ukraine spent 40 per cent. The peace institute said countries are spending more because of today's wars. It added: "This trend will probably continue through 2026 and beyond."

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Militaries - Level 2

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Military spending reached a record in 2025. New data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stated that global defence spending was nearly $2.9 trillion last year. This was a three per cent rise compared to 2024. Spending has now gone up for eleven years in a row. Europe's defence spending increased by 14 per cent, to $864 billion. The Asia-Oceania region increased its spending by 8.1 per cent, to $681 billion. The USA is the biggest spender. It spent $954 billion on its military last year.

There are several reasons for the record levels of spending. One reason is that NATO members met their target to spend two per cent of their GDP on defence. Another reason is the war between Russia and Ukraine. This is now in its fifth year. Russia spent around $190 billion on defence. This was 7.5 per cent of its GDP. Ukraine spent 40 per cent of its GDP on the war. SIPRI said that the increased spending shows how countries are reacting to today's wars. It added: "This trend will probably continue through 2026 and beyond."

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Militaries - Level 3

Spending on weapons reached a record high in 2025. New data on military spending has been published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It writes a report every year called "Trends in World Military Expenditure". SIPRI stated that global defence spending was nearly $2.9 trillion last year. This was a three per cent rise compared to 2024. Spending on armed forces has now risen for eleven years in a row. Europe's defence spending shot up by 14 per cent, to $864 billion. The Asia-Oceania region increased its spending by 8.1 per cent, to $681 billion. The USA remained the biggest spender on defence. It spent $954 billion on its military last year.

There are several reasons for the record levels of spending in Europe. One reason is that all NATO members met their target to spend two per cent of their GDP on defence. Last year, NATO members agreed to a new target of five per cent by 2035. Another reason is the war between Russia and Ukraine. This conflict is now in its fifth year. Russia spent around $190 billion on defence. This was 7.5 per cent of its GDP. Ukraine spent an unbelievable 40 per cent of its GDP on the war. SIPRI said that the increased spending "really speaks to countries' reactions to ongoing wars, tensions and geopolitical uncertainty". It added: "This trend will probably continue through 2026 and beyond."

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