Global Military Spending Reaches 35-Year High, Report Says
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Global military spending in 2023 surged to an all-time high of $2.4 trillion, according to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The Details: This marks a 6.8% increase from 2022 and the ninth straight year of rising military expenditures; it was also the steepest annual rise since 2009. The United States remains the highest spender with a $916 billion defense budget in 2023, while China ranks second with $296 billion.
For Context: The report shows that recent increases in military expenditure are largely due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating geopolitical tensions in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East. Within regions such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, increases in defense spending could reflect not just a response to immediate conflicts, but a rethinking of broader national security priorities and policies.
How the Media Covered It: Coverage across the spectrum appeared to take a somewhat negative tone; Reuters (Center bias) noted that the spending occurred “as international peace and security deteriorated.” Echoing some hard-line conservatives’ opposition to Ukraine aid, Breitbart (Right bias) highlighted that the “Defence Industry Rakes in Billions” and embedded an X post including a report of embezzlement by Ukrainian officials. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Ukraine War Helped Push World Military Spending to 35-Year High, Study Says
The world spent more on military costs and weapons in 2023 than it had in 35 years, driven in part by the war in Ukraine and the threat of an expanded Russian invasion, according to an independent analysis released on Monday.
The study, by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, concluded that global military spending reached $2.4 trillion last year — a 6.8 percent increase from 2022. Growing tensions in Asia and across the Middle East also contributed to the rise, analysts found, while the United States alone spent $916 billion —...
From the Center
Global military spending climbed 7% in 2023 amid conflicts, think-tank SIPRI says
Global military expenditure grew 7% to $2.43 trillion in 2023, the steepest annual rise since 2009 as international peace and security deteriorated, a leading think-tank said on Monday,
The Stockholm International Peace Research InstitNATO spending target ute (SIPRI) said in a statement the United States, China and Russia were the top spenders in 2023.
Nan Tian, senior researcher at SIPRI's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme, said: "States are prioritising military strength but they risk an action–reaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape."
SIPRI said Russia raised...
From the Right
Defence Industry Rakes in Billions as Global Military Spending Hits ‘All-Time High’
Global military expenditure soared to its highest level in over a decade in 2023, reaching an all-time high of $2.4 trillion as war and rumors of war drove spending across the world, researchers said Monday.
The United States, China, Russia, India and Saudi Arabia were respectively the top five spenders overall.
AFP reports military spending rose across the globe with Europe, the Middle East and Asia leading the way in boosting defence outlays, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
“Total military spending is at an...
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