According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military expenditure reached unprecedented levels between 2022 and 2024, consistently exceeding $2.4 trillion per year, representing approximately 2.3% of global GDP. In 2024, this share rose to 2.5%, marking the highest level since the end of the Cold War. Military spending accounted for 7.1% of total government expenditure in 2024, while per capita military expenditure reached $334 – the highest figure recorded since 1990 (SIPRI, 2025). This upward trend is evident across nearly all regions, with particularly sharp increases in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East.
