The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has published a bulletin on trends in global military spending for 2025. Ukraine ranked seventh in the world in terms of military spending, overtaking Saudi Arabia.
In 2025, Ukraine’s spending increased by approximately 20% (and by 1 501% compared to 2016) to $84.1 billion, or 40% of GDP. This is the largest military spending in the history of independent Ukraine and the largest in the world relative to GDP (Algeria is in second place with 8.8%).
The top ten countries in the world in terms of defense spending relative to GDP.
The top spenders on the list are the United States ($954 billion), China ($336 billion), Russia ($190 billion), Germany ($114 billion), India ($92.1 billion), and the United Kingdom ($89 billion).
Russiaʼs war spending increased by 5.9% last year, and by 96% compared to 2016.
Total global military spending rose by 2.9% to $2.887 trillion, the 11th consecutive year of growth. This is the highest amount ever recorded in SIPRI research. NATO member states’ combined spending reached $1.582 billion, accounting for 55% of the global total.
Spending increased in all regions of the world except the Americas over the year. The main driver was Europe (including Ukraine and the Russian Federation), where spending increased by 14% to $864 billion.
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