Global military spending is expected to rise 2.9% in 2025, with the United States seeing a sharp drop of 7.5% as President Donald Trump halted new military aid to Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
According to the report, military spending is expected to rise to $2.89 trillion in 2025, the 11th consecutive year of growth. As a share of global gross domestic product (GDP), it is expected to reach 2.5%, the highest level since 2009.
“Given the scale of the current crises, as well as the long-term military spending goals of many countries, this growth is likely to continue in 2026 and beyond,” the SIPRI report said.
The three largest military spenders - the United States, China and Russia - accounted for a combined $1.48 trillion, or 51% of global spending.
Meanwhile, US military spending in 2025 fell to $954 billion, largely due to the lack of approval for new financial military assistance to Ukraine. Over the previous three years, US funding for Ukraine amounted to $127 billion.
Analysts emphasize that the decline in US military spending in 2025 is likely to be short-lived.
“Spending approved by the US Congress for 2026 has increased to more than $1 trillion, a significant increase over 2025, and could increase further to $1.5 trillion in 2027,“ the statement said.
The main factor in the increase in global spending is a 14% increase in Europe to $864 billion. Increased spending by European NATO members has led to the sharpest annual growth in Central and Western Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Global exports of major arms increased by 9.2% in 2021-2025 compared to the previous five-year period (2016-2020). Russia was the only one of the 10 supplier countries whose arms exports decreased.
The five largest suppliers during this period - the United States, France, Russia, Germany and China - accounted for 70% of all arms exports.
At the same time, Ukraine was the world's largest recipient of major arms in 2021-2025, receiving 9.7% of total global arms imports.