Global military spending hits record $2.887 trillion driven by surges in Europe and Asia

Global military expenditure climbed to a record $2.887 trillion in 2025, extending a run of annual increases to 11 years, according to new figures published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on April 27, 2026.

SIPRI said the 2025 total was up 2.9% in real terms from 2024. The institute also reported that the “military burden,” measured as spending as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rose to 2.5% in 2025, the highest level since 2009.

Europe and Asia drive the latest rise

SIPRI identified Europe and Asia as the main contributors to the latest increase. In Europe, military outlays jumped 14% to $864 billion.

In Asia and Oceania, spending rose 8.1%, SIPRI said. The institute did not attribute the regional gains to a single country in its summary figures, but described the overall pattern as concentrated among the largest spenders.

Top spenders account for more than half of the total

SIPRI said the United States, China, and Russia together spent $1.48 trillion in 2025. That combined amount represented 51% of global military expenditure.

Despite that concentration, SIPRI’s data also showed that the global increase was not dependent on higher US spending. The institute reported that spending outside the United States rose 9.2% in 2025.

US spending falls as Ukraine aid approvals pause

US military spending declined 7.5% to $954 billion in 2025, SIPRI said. The institute linked the drop largely to the lack of new military aid approvals for Ukraine during the year.

SIPRI’s figures indicate that the overall global total still rose even with the US decline, reflecting higher spending elsewhere. The institute did not provide additional detail in the release on how the US reduction was distributed across categories.

NATO Europe, Germany, and conflict-linked increases

Within Europe, SIPRI said European NATO members collectively spent $559 billion. It reported that 22 of 29 European NATO members met or exceeded the alliance guideline of 2.0% of GDP.

Germany recorded a 24% increase to $114 billion, SIPRI said, lifting its military spending above 2.0% of GDP for the first time since 1990.

In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, SIPRI reported Russia’s spending rose 5.9% to $190 billion, equal to 7.5% of GDP. Ukraine’s spending increased 20% to $84.1 billion, which SIPRI said amounted to 40% of GDP.

Middle East spending broadly steady

SIPRI said military spending in the Middle East was largely unchanged in 2025, edging up 0.1% from 2024 to $218 billion. The institute did not cite a broader regional shift in its topline figures.

While SIPRI’s release detailed major regional and country-level moves, it did not provide a full breakdown of all national totals in the summary figures, leaving some country-by-country changes outside the headline group unclear.