Overview

• Europe and the Middle East led the surge in military budgets, with Europe surpassing Cold War levels and the Middle East increasing by 15%.
• The United States remained the top military spender at $997 billion, accounting for 37% of global expenditure and 66% of NATO's total.
• Russia's defense spending rose 38% to $149 billion, while Ukraine's military burden reached 34% of GDP—the highest globally.
• China's military budget grew 7% to $314 billion, marking its 30th consecutive year of increases and bolstering modernization efforts.
• Over 100 nations increased defense budgets, raising concerns about long-term economic and social trade-offs as resources shift away from other sectors.