Europe’s military spending sets new record

Global military expenditure has surged to a record $2.89 trillion in 2025, driven largely by a sharp rise in European budgets amid the war in Ukraine and growing security concerns

DEFENCE EXPENDITURE BY REGION*
1988-2025 (constant 2024 $billions)
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
Africa
$58
8.5%
Middle
East†
$218
0.1%
Asia &
Oceania
$681
8.1%
Europe
$864
14%
Americas
$1,065
-6.6%

2025: $2.89 trillion – 2.9% increase
from 2024. Spending in Europe
rises by 14% to $864bn

United States
$954 billion
World share: 33%
Spain
40.2
1.4
France
68.0
2.4
114
3.9
Russia†
190
6.6
China†
336
12
Ukraine†
84.1
2.9
UK
89.0
3.1
India
92.1
3.2
S. Arabia†
83.2
2.9
Poland
46.8
1.6
S. Korea
47.8
1.7
Italy
48.1
1.7
Israel
48.3
1.7
Japan
62.2
2.2


TOP SPENDERS (2025, $bn)

Germany: Biggest European spender, with budget rising by 24% to $114bn

†SIPRI estimate

*No total calculated for 1991 due to absence of data for Soviet Union

Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, April 2026
Picture: Getty Images
© GRAPHIC NEWS