While the world may be edging towards peace, you would not think so when looking at the 20 countries with highest military spending in the world. War scholars tend to refer to our current era as the ‘long peace’, a term which seems an overstatement when you consider the death and destruction that is going in the world. However, this is in comparison to the previous couple of centuries, times where wars were waged on a whim, and human life seemingly had no value. With countries establishing proper diplomatic relations, negotiations and verbal discussions have taken precedence over war, as it should be.
At the same time, countries know that with increasing technology, they are vulnerable to outside threats. Most countries may not be at war, but they still spend a significant amount improving there defense systems in order to combat any threats which may arise. This is evidenced by the fact that world military spending has increased in the last year by 2.6%, a huge amount when you’re talking in trillions of dollars. And while 2019 hasn’t ended and the figures for the entire year aren’t available, military spending by country in 2019 will undoubtedly increase when compared with military spending by country in 2018. This makes sense when you consider arms deals that countries make for billions of dollars. Of course, the United States is the king when it comes to military spending, which is why if you compare the US military budget vs other countries’, there is literally no competition. If you want to know more about our 2017 rankings you can visit 15 countries with highest defense spending and largest military budgets.
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In this article if we ranked the 20 countries with highest military spending in the world, the biggest and richest countries would have easily dominated the list. This is why we used two criteria, namely military spending as a percent of country GDP and their total spending. We ranked each country separately for each criteria, the data for which was obtained from the World Bank, and then calculated the average ranking to come up with our list. This allowed for a more accurate reflection in the rankings, as using multiple criteria helps cancel out bias which may be present. So let’s begin with our list, which may contain a few surprises as well:
20. Morocco
Military spending: $3,696,856,945
Morocco increased its military budget by almost 30% this year, thereby earning its ranking on this list. This increase in budget was due to the hiring of additional recruits as well as the improvements in salary of the existing army officials.
Pixabay/Public Domain
19. Iraq
Military spending: $6.3 billion
While the total military spending in Iraq is not very significant, ranking a paltry 51st, it does spend 2.7% of its GDP on its military, which is not surprising due to the skirmishes and wars which have ravaged the nation. However, one does think that it would be better spent on education and attempts to eradicate poverty, to at least alleviate the harsh living conditions plaguing the nation.
Pixabay/Public Domain
18. Lebanon
Military spending: $2,775,557,816
You might notice a pattern in these rankings, where the countries have either been ruined by wars or the countries are really powerful and aim to keep that going. Lebanon falls in the former. While the budget again isn’t significant, it’s nearly 5% of the GDP, which is a major chunk!
Pixabay/Public Domain
17. China
Military spending: $249,996,900,635
China has the second biggest military budget in the world, though it’s less than 2% of its GDP. As the economic power and status of China grows, it is able to dedicate more resources towards shoring up its defense.
Pixabay/Public Domain
16. Ukraine
Military spending: $4,750,219,044
Ukraine perhaps has more reason than most to spend on its defense, what with the looming threat of Russia, especially after the annexation of Crimea, which is unheard of in this day and age.
Pixabay/Public Domain
15. Iran
Military spending: $13,194,151,137
Iran is a pretty small nation, but it continues to spend heavily on its defense budget, even as it alienates the rest of the world, evidenced by the recent major sanctions imposed on the country by the United States and its major allies.
Pixabay/Public Domain
14. Turkey
Military spending: $18,967,113,031
Turkey’s military spending is rising at a significant rate, clocking in at 24% in 2018, which was the highest increase in the top 15 military spenders in the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
13. Singapore
Military spending: $10,841,000,269
It might seem unnatural to see Singapore featured on a list of 20 countries with highest military spending in the world. But there’s a reason behind it, namely that Singapore may be considered vulnerable because of its small size and strategic location, in addition to its burgeoning economy providing it with the means to do so.
Pixabay/Public Domain
12. Colombia
Military spending: $ 10,602,860,967
Colombia is well-known for its guerrilla groups present in the country, which is a major reason for the requirement of extra defense spending.
Pixabay/Public Domain
11. France
Military spending: $ 63,799,676,593
France already has a pretty significant defense budget, one which it has increased by over $2 billion.
Pixabay/Public Domain
10. Oman
Military spending: $ 6,710,013,004
Oman spends over 8% of its GDP on military spending, which is the second highest military spending as a percentage of GDP, which has allowed it to develop a robust military.
Pixabay/Public Domain
9. Kuwait
Military spending: $7,296,266,526
Kuwait maintains one of the highest military spending as a percentage of GDP, mainly to become a bigger international player and be considered a more important country, especially in context to its size.
Pixabay/Public Domain
8. Pakistan
Military spending: $11,375,525,626
In Pakistan, the military holds an almost mythical status, being revered by the public. This, along with the threat posed by India and the Taliban, has led to Pakistan dedicating a significant portion of its budget to the military.
Pixabay/Public Domain
7. South Korea
Military spending: $43,069,973,343
We all know the reason South Korea has to spend a lot of money on its defense, which is the threat posed by its arch-rival, North Korea.
Pixabay/Public Domain
6. Algeria
Military spending: $ 9,583,724,288
Spending over 5.27% of its GDP on its military is Algeria, which is in contrast to the general trend in Africa, where the military spending is decreasing.
Pixabay/Public Domain
5. India
Military Spending: $ 66,510,289,108
The largest democracy in the world ensures that its safe from external threats by spending a hefty amount each year on its defense.
Pixabay/Public Domain
4. Israel
Military Spending: $ 15,946,788,601
Israel is surrounded by hostile enemies, especially the Arab countries, while one can never forget Palestine either. This is why Israel has to dedicate a huge portion of its budget to enhancing its military.
Pixabay/Public Domain
3. Russia
Military Spending: $ 61,387,546,980
It may no longer be the force it one was, but Russia does look like it wants to regain its power, if military spending is anything to go by (and it is).
Pixabay/Public Domain
2. Saudi Arabia
Military Spending: $67,554,666,667
Saudi Arabia spends over 8.7% of its GDP on its military, and conducts arms deals with major countries throughout the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
1. United States of America
No surprises here as the US tops the list of 20 countries with highest military spending in the world, spending more than the other countries on this list combined, barring China, and cementing its position as the most powerful nation in the world.
Pixabay/Public Domain
