World military expenditure rose by 2.9 per cent in real terms to reach $2887 billion in 2025, which was the 11th consecutive year of growth. Global spending has gone up by 41 per cent over the past decade (2016–25).

The year-on-year increase in 2025 was considerably smaller than the 9.7 per cent rise recorded in 2024 and marked the lowest annual rate of growth since 2021.

The world’s military burden, the share of global gross domestic product (GDP) devoted to military expenditure, went up from 2.4 per cent in 2024 to 2.5 per cent in 2025.

The global average military expenditure as a share of government expenditure was 6.9 per cent in 2025, compared with 7.0 per cent in 2024, and world spending per person stood at $352 in 2025. 

Global military expenditure rose in 2025 despite a drop in spending by the United States, the world’s biggest spender. A sharp increase in European spending and continued growth in Asia and Oceania was more than enough to offset the decrease in US spending during the year. World military expenditure excluding the USA grew by 9.2 per cent in 2025. 

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute