US, China And Russia Spent Most On Military; Ukraine War Caused 'All-Time High' Spending

The total global military expenditure rose by more than 3% in 2022, with China, Russia and the United States being the largest spenders, according to new data.

World military spending rose by 3.7% last year, leading to an "all-time high" of $2.24 trillion. At least 56% of the total spending was accounted for by China, the U.S. and Russia, per new data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Sunday.

The rise in global military expenditure was driven by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. The sharpest rise was seen in Europe, where spending rose by 13%. This was largely accounted for by Russia and Ukraine. Russia, in particular, spent 9.2% more in 2022, amounting to $86.4 billion. The rise in spending was equivalent to 4.1% of Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) in the same year.

Furthermore, military expenditures in Central and Western Europe rose in 2022 following the war in Ukraine, totaling $345 billion. It is the first time their military spending surpassed that in 1989, which is when the Cold War ended.

"The invasion of Ukraine had an immediate impact on military spending decisions in Central and Western Europe. This included multi-year plans to boost spending from several governments. The invasion of Ukraine had an immediate impact on military spending decisions in Central and Western Europe. This included multi-year plans to boost spending from several governments," Dr. Diego Lopes da Silva, senior researcher at SIPRI's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, said.

The U.S. remains the biggest military spender, with its expenditures reaching $877 billion last year. It accounts for 39% of the world's overall military spending. The recent increase in spending can be attributed to the amount of financial aid the country committed to Ukraine since the war began in 2022.

China also remained the world's second-biggest military spender, with expenditures reaching $292 billion last year. Beijing's total military spending in 2022 was 4.2% more than its spending in 2021. The report noted that China's military spending has steadily increased over the past 28 years.

Dr. Nan Tian, also a senior researcher with SIPRI's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, said the increasing global military expenditure points to "an increasingly insecure world."

"The continuous rise in global military expenditure in recent years is a sign that we are living in an increasingly insecure world. States are bolstering military strength in response to a deteriorating security environment, which they do not foresee improving in the near future," Dr. Tian said, per a SIPRI press release.