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Key Facts

· Global military expenditure was $1747 billion in 2013.
· Total spending fell by 1.9 per cent in real terms between 2012 · and 2013. This was the second consecutive year in which spending fell.
· Military spending fell in the West—North America, Western and Central Europe, and Oceania—while it increased in all other regions.
· The five biggest spenders in 2013 were the United States, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and France.
· Military spending by the USA fell by 7.8 per cent, to $640 billion. A large part of the fall can be attributed to the reduction in spending on overseas military operations.
· China’s spending increased by 7.4 per cent, representing a long-term policy of rising military spending in line with economic growth.
· Russia’s military spending increased by 4.8 per cent, and for the first time since 2003 it spent a bigger share of its GDP on the military than the USA.
· Saudi Arabia was the fourth biggest spender in 2013, having ranked seventh in 2012. The United Kingdom has now fallen to sixth place.
· A total of 23 countries doubled their military spending in real terms between 2004 and 2013. These countries are in all regions of the world apart from North America, Western and Central Europe, and Oceania.

SIPRI Fact Sheet, April 2014
Trends in World Militarty Expenditure

2013 Global military expenditure fell in 2013, by 1.9 per cent in real terms, to reach$1747 billion.

This was the second consecutive year in which spending fell, and the ra military expenditure was $1747 billion in 2013. Total spending fell by 1.9 per cent in real terms between 2012 and 2013.

The five biggest spenders in 2013 were the United States, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and France.

Military spending by the USA fell by 7.8 per cent, to $640 billion. A large part of the fall can be attributed to the reduction in spending on overseas military operations.

China’s spending increased by 7.4 per cent, representing a long-term policy of rising military spending in line with economic growth.

Russia’s military spending increased by 4.8 per cent, and for the first time since 2003 it spent a bigger share of its GDP on the military than the USA.

Saudi Arabia was the fourth biggest spender in 2013, having ranked seventh in 2012. The United Kingdom has now fallen to sixth place.

A total of 23 countries doubled their military spending in real terms between 2004 and 2013. These countries are in all regions of the world apart from North America, Western and Central Europe, and Oceania.

A pattern has been established in recent years whereby military spend ing has fallen in the West—that is, in North America, Western and Central Europe, and Oceania—while it has increased in other regions.

This tendency was even more pronounced in 2013, with military spending increasing in every region and subregion outside the West. In fact, the total for the world excluding just one country—the United States—increased by 1.8 per cent in 2013, despite falls in Europe and elsewhere.

From 14 April 2014 the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database includes newly released information on military expenditure in 2013.

This Fact Sheet describes the global, regional and national trends in military expenditure that are revealed by the new data, with a special focus on those countries that have more than doubled their military spending over the period 2004–13.