Overview

• Secretary‑General António Guterres unveiled “The Security We Need” and said leaders will take up its findings at the UN General Assembly starting Sept. 22.
• Global military outlays reached about $2.7 trillion in 2024, up 9.4% year on year to 2.5% of world GDP after a 37% rise since 2015, according to SIPRI data cited by the UN.
• Spending increased across all five regions with more than 100 countries raising budgets, driven in part by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
• The report projects that, if trends persist, military expenditure could climb to $6.6 trillion by 2035.
• It argues that small reallocations could close key SDG gaps, citing $93 million a year to end hunger by 2030 and $5 trillion to fund 12 years of quality primary education in low‑income countries.