Global Military Spending Hits $2.89 Trillion in 2025

Global military spending climbed to nearly $2.89 trillion in 2025, a 2.9 percent increase from the previous year and the 11th straight annual rise, according to a report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The growth, which pushed the share of global gross domestic product devoted to defense to 2.5 percent, the highest since 2009, reflected heightened insecurity from ongoing conflicts and geopolitical tensions worldwide.

The United States, the largest single spender, saw its budget drop 7.5 percent to $954 billion, primarily because no new financial aid packages for Ukraine were approved during the year. Over the prior three years, Washington had committed $127 billion in military support to Kyiv. Researchers noted that this decline was temporary, with Congress approving more than $1 trillion for 2026 spending, potentially rising to $1.5 trillion in 2027 depending on President Donald Trump's budget proposals. Despite the reduction, U.S. investments continued in nuclear modernization and capabilities to counter China in the Indo-Pacific.

The top three spenders, the United States, China and Russia, accounted for $1.48 trillion combined, over...