US is #1 Global Military Spender
Source: Al-Manar TV, 09-06-2006
World military spending grew 45 percent in the past decade, with the United States accounting for nearly half of all expenditures, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Monday.
Since 2001, US military expenditure has increased by 59 per cent in real terms, principally because of massive spending on military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also because of increases in the 'base' defense budget," the report said.
The United States spends by far the most towards military aims, dishing out 547 billion dollars last year, or 45 percent of global expenditure, and more than all the other countries in the Top 15 list combined.
Britain, China, France and Japan, the next in line of big spenders, lag far behind, accounting for just four to five percent of world military costs each.
In the past decade, the Middle East has boosted military expenditures by 62 percent, South Asia by 57 percent and Africa and East Asia by 51 percent each.
Military spending grew six percent last year alone, according to SIPRI's annual report. "The factors driving increases in world military spending include countries' foreign policy objectives, real or perceived threats, armed conflict and policies to contribute to multilateral peacekeeping operations, combined with the availability of economic resources," the SIPRI report said.
Registering the greatest regional growth was Eastern Europe, which saw its military spending skyrocket 162 percent between 1998 and 2007 and 15 percent from 2006 to 2007. Russia, whose expenditures ballooned 13 percent last year, was responsible for 86 percent of the growth in the region, according to SIPRI.
In the past decade, Western Europe was the region with the least military spending growth at just six percent, followed by Central America at 14 percent.
As a direct result of the increased military outlay, sales by the world's 100 leading arms producing companies (excluding in China) jumped nearly nine percent in 2006 compared to the year before to 315 billion dollars, SIPRI said.
According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2008, the 15 countries with the highest military expenditure in 2007 are, given constant 2005 prices and exchange rates, the following:
1. USA 547
2. UK 59.7
3. China 58.3
4. France 53.6
5. Japan 43.6
6. Germany 36.9
7. Russia 35.4
8. Saudi Arabia 33.8
9. Italy 33.1
10. India 24.2
11. South Korea 22.6
12. Brazil 15.3
13. Canada 15.2
14. Australia 15.1
15. Spain 14.6
World military spending grew 45 percent in the past decade, with the United States accounting for nearly half of all expenditures, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Monday.
Since 2001, US military expenditure has increased by 59 per cent in real terms, principally because of massive spending on military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also because of increases in the 'base' defense budget," the report said.
The United States spends by far the most towards military aims, dishing out 547 billion dollars last year, or 45 percent of global expenditure, and more than all the other countries in the Top 15 list combined.
Britain, China, France and Japan, the next in line of big spenders, lag far behind, accounting for just four to five percent of world military costs each.
In the past decade, the Middle East has boosted military expenditures by 62 percent, South Asia by 57 percent and Africa and East Asia by 51 percent each.
Military spending grew six percent last year alone, according to SIPRI's annual report. "The factors driving increases in world military spending include countries' foreign policy objectives, real or perceived threats, armed conflict and policies to contribute to multilateral peacekeeping operations, combined with the availability of economic resources," the SIPRI report said.
Registering the greatest regional growth was Eastern Europe, which saw its military spending skyrocket 162 percent between 1998 and 2007 and 15 percent from 2006 to 2007. Russia, whose expenditures ballooned 13 percent last year, was responsible for 86 percent of the growth in the region, according to SIPRI.
In the past decade, Western Europe was the region with the least military spending growth at just six percent, followed by Central America at 14 percent.
As a direct result of the increased military outlay, sales by the world's 100 leading arms producing companies (excluding in China) jumped nearly nine percent in 2006 compared to the year before to 315 billion dollars, SIPRI said.
According to the SIPRI Yearbook 2008, the 15 countries with the highest military expenditure in 2007 are, given constant 2005 prices and exchange rates, the following:
1. USA 547
2. UK 59.7
3. China 58.3
4. France 53.6
5. Japan 43.6
6. Germany 36.9
7. Russia 35.4
8. Saudi Arabia 33.8
9. Italy 33.1
10. India 24.2
11. South Korea 22.6
12. Brazil 15.3
13. Canada 15.2
14. Australia 15.1
15. Spain 14.6
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