GLOBAL military expenditure rose to a record US$2.89 trillion in 2025, marking the 11th consecutive year of growth, according to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday.
The global military burden, or military expenditure as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), rose to 2.5 per cent in 2025, the highest level since 2009, SIPRI said.
Military spending increased by 2.9 per cent in real terms from 2024, a sharp slowdown, however, from the 9.7 per cent rise recorded the previous year.
“Global military spending rose again in 2025 as states responded to another year of wars, uncertainty and geopolitical upheaval with large-scale armament drives,” said a researcher with SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme.
The researcher said the growth would probably continue through 2026 and beyond, given current crises and many states’ long-term military spending targets. The United States remained the world’s largest military spender, though its expenditure fell by 7.5 per cent to $954 billion in 2025. SIPRI said the decline was mainly because no new financial military assistance for Ukraine was approved during the year, in contrast to the previous three years.
Xinhua
#GlobalNewLightOfMyanmar