The war in Ukraine and rising geopolitical tensions last year caused the largest increase in global military spending since 2009The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) noted this Monday in a report.
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Investment in arms reached a record figure of 2.44 trillion dollars, 6.8% more in real terms than in 2022 and 2.3% of global gross domestic product (GDP).
“The unprecedented increase in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security. States are prioritizing military force, but risk an action-reaction spiral in a more volatile geopolitical and security landscape” , the report notes.
According to SIPRI researcher Nan Tian, ”it reflects the deterioration of the peace and security situation in the world. There is really no region where the situation is improving.”
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With the war in Ukraine “far from over”, a Middle East on the boil and Asia subject to multiple tensions, the SIPRI researcher expects military spending to continue growing. “We hope this upward trend continues for at least a few more years,” he asserts.
The United States and NATO monopolize global spending
The study highlights the increased defense investment of the European countries of NATO, which now represents 28% of that of the entire Alliance, the highest level in a decade, with eleven of them above the commitment of 2% of GDP.
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Highlight among them Poland, which, with a year-on-year increase of 75%, recorded the largest annual increase in Europe.
“The last two years of war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed the perspectives of European states on security. That change in threat perception is reflected in directing increasing shares of GDP to military spending,” writes SIPRI.
Russia, third in the world ranking, allocated an estimated figure of 109 billion dollars, 4.5% globally and 24% more year-on-yearwhich also represents 5.9% of its GDP.
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Ukraine, the world's eighth largest arms investor, increased its spending by 51% to $64.8 billion, a third of its GDP.
The $35 billion in military aid received by kyiv narrowed the gap with Russia and total Ukrainian military spending was 91% of Moscow's.
“Ukraine's room for maneuver to increase its (military) spending is now very limited,” summarizes Tian.
Increased investment in Asia and the Middle East
The last two years of war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed European states' perspectives on security
“The large increase in military spending in the Middle East in 2023 reflects the rapidly changing situation in the region, from the improvement of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries in recent years to the outbreak of a major war in Gaza and fear of conflict. regional,” says SIPRI.
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Fight against organized crime boosts spending in Central America
In the Dominican Republic there was a 14% year-on-year increase in response to worsening gang violence in Haiti.
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“The use of the military to suppress gang violence has been a growing trend in the region for years, as governments are either unable to solve the problem with conventional means or prefer immediate and often more violent responses,” says SIPRI.
Brazil remains the regional leader in South America, and the eighteenth country worldwide, with spending of 22.9 billion dollars, 3.1% more.
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