SIPRI says global military spending rose to about $2.89 trillion in 2025
The Facts
- SIPRI reported that global military spending totaled about $2.89 trillion in 2025.
- The 2025 total was 2.9% higher than in 2024 and marked the 11th consecutive year of growth in global military spending.
- The United States, China and Russia were the top three military spenders in 2025, and together accounted for about $1.48 trillion, or 51% of global spending.
- Global military spending amounted to 2.5% of world GDP in 2025, the highest share since 2009.
- U.S. military spending declined in 2025, but increases elsewhere still pushed the global total upward.
- Europe was a main driver of the global increase, with the continent's military spending rising 14% to about $864 billion in 2025.
- Sources attribute the rise in spending to ongoing wars, geopolitical tensions and rearmament programs, especially in Europe and Asia.
- SIPRI researchers said the current scale of crises and countries' longer-term spending targets suggest military spending could keep rising beyond 2025.
Context
Why did global military spending rise even though U.S. spending fell?
Multiple reports say increases in Europe and Asia more than offset the U.S. decline, with Europe identified as a main source of the global rise in 2025 Українська …,CNBC,Yahoo News.
Which countries spent the most on their militaries in 2025?
The United States, China and Russia were the top three spenders, and together they accounted for just over half of global military expenditure, according to SIPRI Українська …,Lenta.ru,BFMTV.
Why does the 2.5% of global GDP figure matter?
It shows military spending took its largest share of the world economy since 2009, indicating that defense budgets are consuming a bigger portion of national output as governments respond to wars, tensions and rearmament plans Українська …,CNBC,Sözcü Gazetesi.
How left and right read it
What stands out is how deeply insecurity is reshaping public priorities worldwide: military spending reached about $2.89 trillion in 2025, rose for an 11th straight year, and now equals 2.5% of world GDP, the highest share since 2009. With SIPRI saying ongoing wars, tensions and rearmament programs could keep pushing spending higher, this looks less like a temporary spike than a durable global burden.
The report underscores how quickly the security environment is changing and how broadly governments are responding. Even with U.S. military spending declining, increases elsewhere drove the global total higher, with Europe up 14% to about $864 billion, suggesting many countries see rearmament as an urgent matter of national preparedness rather than a choice they can defer.
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