Top 10 countries with the highest military spending in 2024-25: Where does India rank?

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World military expenditure, by region, 1988–2024 (Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, April 2025)

Furthermore, the report also revealed that the global military burden— the percentage of global gross domestic product (GDP) allocated to military spending—rose to 2.5 per cent.

The world’s top 5 largest military spenders not only increased their military expenditure last year but also accounted for 60 per cent of total global military expenditure, with their combined spending reaching $1635 trillion.

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In 2024, the world’s top military spenders were the United States of America (USA), which accounted for 37 per cent of worldwide military spending, and China, which accounted for 12 per cent of the global military budget. Together, they accounted for over half of global military expenditure.

Germany’s military spending increased by 28 per cent to $88.5 billion, or 1.9 per cent of GDP, making it the fourth highest spender internationally in 2024 (up from seventh in 2023) and the largest in Central and Western Europe for the first time since reunification.

Top 10 Countries Dominating Global Military Spending in 2024-25

With a combined spending of US$1,981 billion, the top 10 countries account for 73 per cent of the world’s military spending in 2024.

Rank	Country	Spending (US$, billion), 2024	Spending as a share of GDP (%) 2024	Share of world spending (%) 2024
1	United States	997	3.4%	37%
2	China	[314]	[1.7%]	[12%]
3	Russia	[149]	[7.1%]	[5.5%]
4	Germany	88.5	1.9%	3.3%
5	India	86.1	2.3%	3.2%
Subtotal top 5		1,635	–	60%
6	United Kingdom	81.8	2.3%	3%
7	Saudi Arabia	[80.3]	[7.3%]	[3%]
8	Ukraine	64.7	34%	2.4%
9	France	64.7	2.1%	2.4%
10	Japan	55.3	1.4%	2%
Subtotal top 10		1,981	–	73%

Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, April 2025 | Please note: [ ] = estimated figure

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

India’s global ranking in military expenditure in 2024-25

India stands as the fifth biggest military spender in the world in 2024, with an expenditure of $86.1 billion and a year-on-year growth of 1.6 per cent from 2023. Considered the world’s largest arms importer, it accounts for 3.2 per cent of global military expenditure, trailing behind the top three countries: the United States, China, and Russia.

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