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 spending by 24% to an estimated $109 billion. Ukraine increased spending by 51% to $65 billion and received at least $35 billion in military aid from other countries.

"Combined, this aid and Ukraine’s own military spending were equivalent to about 91% of Russian spending," the think-tank said.

It said NATO member countries' spending totalled 55% of the world’s expenditure.