Figure this: DEFENCE BUDGETS

As Indias economy slows down,defence spending has been hit the hardest.

INDIA

As Indias economy slows down,defence spending has been hit the hardest. This Budgets modest hike of 5 per cent on a total defence budget of Rs 1.93 lakh crore will take the spending to the lowest in three decades. In terms of percentage of total annual government expenditure too,defence spending will see a 30-year low. At 12.23 per cent this year,it is considerably down from 15.79 per cent in 1999 as well as lower than last years 12.97 per cent. The cuts come at a time when Indias neighbours have hiked their defence budgets.

CHINA

New president Xi Jinping has announced a hike of 10.7 per cent in Chinas defence budget to 119 billion. Last year,Chinas budget stood at 106 billion. China had increased its defence budget by 11.2 per cent in 2012. According to Indian officials,Chinas actual spending is almost 60 per cent higher than the declared defence budget.

SRI LANKA

The Sri Lankan government approved the 2013 Appropriation Bill in 2012,estimating government expenditure at 18 billion. The biggest allocation was to the Defence Ministry,with 2.1 billion,an increase of 436 million. Sri Lanka announced in October last year it would raise defence spending by over 25 per cent in 2013.

UNITED STATES

In January,President Barack Obama announced a strategy that will cut more than 450 billion in defence spending over the next 10 years. The US defence budget is over 700 billion. However,Obama has vowed to avoid mistakes made in downsizing the military after past wars,when cuts in military spending left many Army units ill equipped to meet their wartime tasking.

Britain has among the worlds largest military budgets,spending about 51 billionabout 2.5 per cent of the GDPon defence. But deep cuts are looming for British defence in the core budget for 2013-15,amounting to 1.1 billion. Despite PM David Camerons assurances of a ringfenced defence,Britains military is looking at a 7.5 per cent cut.

JAPAN

Japans new conservative government announced a review of national military strategy in January that may increase defence spending for the first time in a decade,with an eye on Chinas growing military power and territorial disputes. The replacement plan starts with a 1.4 billion increase in the military budget in the 2013 fiscal year.