Top 10 countries with the highest military spending as a share of GDP: Where does India rank?

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, both countries increased their military burdens last year. Ukraine witnessed the highest military burden of 34% of its GDP; meanwhile, Russia, ranked 5th, spent 7.1% of its GDP on the military in 2024.

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Even countries in Central and Western Europe, like Poland, witnessed unprecedented rises in their military spending last year; its military spending grew by 31 per cent to $38.0 billion in 2024, representing 4.2 per cent of the country’s GDP.

Furthermore, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East drove Israel to allocate 8.8% of its GDP to defence. Saudi Arabia, the biggest spender in the region, spent 7.3%.

Top 10 highest military spenders in the world by share of GDP percentage in 2024-25

As a result of rising geopolitical tensions, armed conflict-affected countries spent 4.4% of their GDP on the military in 2024, in contrast to 1.9% in countries with no armed conflict.

Rank	Country	Share of GDP (%) 2024	Spending ($B)
1	Ukraine	34%	64.7
3	Israel	8.80%	46.5
3	Algeria	8%	21.8
4	Saudi Arabia	7.30%	[80.3]
5	Russia	[7.1%]	[149]
6	Kuwait	4.80%	7.8
7	Poland	4.20%	38
8	United States	3.40%	997
9	Colombia	3.40%	15.1
10	Greece	3.1	8

Source: SIPRI – Trends in World Military Expenditure, April 2025 | Please note: [ ] = estimated figure

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The world’s 10 largest military spenders in 2024 (Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, April 2025)

How much does India spend on the military as a share of GDP in 2024?

India, the fifth-largest economy, is also the fifth-largest global military spender, with an expenditure of $86.1 billion, which accounts for 2.3% of its GDP in 2024.

In contrast, Pakistan, with a much smaller economy, allocates $10.2 billion to defence—2.7% of its GDP—highlighting its prioritisation of military expenditure despite economic constraints.

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The largest economy in the world, the United States, continues to dominate global military spending with a massive $997 billion, constituting 3.4% of its GDP, emphasising its role as a global military superpower.

Following China, the second-largest military spender, allocates an estimated $314 billion, or 1.7% of its GDP, focusing on expanding its regional influence and challenging U.S. dominance.