Global military expenditure stands at over $1.5 trillion in annual expenditure at current prices for 2009, and has been rising in recent years.
(1991 figures are unavailable.)
Summarizing some key details from chapter 5 of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s 2010 Year Book on Armaments, Disarmament and International Security for 2008:
*World military expenditure in 2009 is estimated to have reached $1.531 trillion in current dollars;
*This represents a 6 per cent increase in real terms since 2008 and a 49 per cent increase since 2000;
*This corresponds to 2.7 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP), or approximately $225 for each person in the world.
*The USA with its massive spending budget, is the principal determinant of the current world trend, and its military expenditure now accounts for just under half of the world total, at 46.5% of the world total;
SIPRI has commented in the past on the increasing concentration of military expenditure, i.e. that a small number of countries spend the largest sums. This trend carries on into 2009 spending. For example,
*The 15 countries with the highest spending account for over 82% of the total;
*The USA is responsible for 46.5 per cent of the world total, distantly followed by the China (6.6% of world share), France (4.2%), UK (3.8%), and Russia (3.5%):
