Global military spending hit new records in 2021
A convoy of pro-Russian troops advancing through one of the streets of the port city of Mariupol, April 21, 2022. © CHINGIS KONDAROV/REUTERS
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According to the Stockholm-based Sipri Institute, $2.113 billion was spent in 2021 on military equipment.
The United States, China, India, the United Kingdom and Russia concentrate two thirds of this expenditure.
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Global military spending hits a new record for
the seventh consecutive year in 2021,
despite the negative economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“
In 2021, military spending increased for the seventh consecutive year, reaching $2.1 trillion.
This is the highest figure we have ever recorded
,” said Sipri researcher Diego Lopes da Silva.
And it is still the United States that spends the most.
At over $800 billion, the US military burden has fallen slightly to 3.5% of GDP.
While Americans are buying fewer armaments, the bulk of that budget is spent on military research and development.
Next-generation technologies are keeping the United States ahead of the rest of the world, experts say.
China, the world's second-biggest military spender with an estimated $293 billion,
increased spending by 4.7 percent
, marking the 27th consecutive year of spending increases.
Who were the top 10 military spenders in 2021?
1) USA🇺🇸
2) China🇨🇳
3) India🇮🇳
4) UK🇬🇧
5) Russia🇷🇺
6) France🇫🇷
7) Germany🇩🇪
8) Saudi Arabia🇸🇦
9) Japan🇯🇵
10) South Korea 🇰🇷
Together they spent $1578 billion, accounting for 75% of global military spending ➡️ https://t.co/9dsFAulApR pic.twitter.com/Axq6nd9DLU
— SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) April 25, 2022
War in Europe
With rising tensions in Europe, NATO member countries have increased their spending.
Last year, eight members of the Alliance reached their target of 2% of GDP devoted to the military budget.
Among them, France and Poland.
And it could still increase.
Knowing that Russia's invasion of Ukraine this year
has prompted many countries to revise their spending levels upwards.
Among African countries, Nigeria's military spending soared to $4.5 billion, an increase of 56%.
An increase that comes in response to violent extremism and separatist insurgencies in particular.
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Economy
Defense