All over the world, so much money has never been spent on defense. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), $2.2 trillion was spent last year, an increase of 3.7 percent from the previous year. “The increase is mainly due to the war in Ukraine,” says SIPRI researcher Pieter Wezeman, who was involved in the study.
“We see that both Russia and Ukraine have spent much more. But a number of smaller countries in Europe have also shown a dramatic increase in their military spending.’ According to the International Peace Research Institute, the amount is 2.24 trillion dollars, about 2 trillion euros.
Over 600 percent
In Ukraine itself, defense spending increased by no less than 640% last year. Russia increased by 9.2%. The United States continues to spend more on defense. The country will account for 39% of all global military spending by 2022. China is second with 13%. Together, the two countries account for more than half of all military spending in the world. Russia (3.9 percent), India (3.6 percent) and Saudi Arabia (3.3 percent) follow a long way behind.
This figure is not expected to decrease rapidly in the coming years. “We’ve seen some major European countries, especially Germany, even though we’ve said they’re going to significantly increase their military spending,” Wezeman says. “If an economy as big as Germany says that, then you have to assume that there are also several billions that will contribute to the total increase in the entire world.”
trump
Donald Trump, former US president, has repeatedly pushed for more defense spending by NATO countries during his tenure. However, this increase cannot be attributed to him. “This already started in 2014 with the Russian annexation of Crimea,” Wezeman says.
In its calculation, SIPRI includes expenditure on military personnel, military aid and military research. Overall, global defense spending accounted for 2.2% of the total global economy last year.
Holland is one of the European countries that has increased its military investments the most in the last ten years. In Europe, the increase in 2022 was also the largest in at least thirty years, due to the war in Ukraine.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
