World Military Expenditures

World military expenditure in 2006 is estimated at $1204 billion in current prices. This represents an increase of 3.5 per cent in real terms since 2005 and of 37 per cent over the 10-year period since 1997. Average spending per capita has increased from $173 in 2005 to $177 in 2006 at constant (2005) prices and exchange rates and to $184 at current prices.

Source –SIPRI Yearbook 2007

World military expenditure is extremely unevenly distributed. In 2006 the 15 countries with the highest spending accounted for 83 per cent of the total.
The USA is responsible for 46 per cent of the world total, distantly followed by the UK, France, Japan and China with 4-5 per cent each.
A comparison of government spending priorities between samples of countries in different per capita income groups shows that the lower the income group, the higher the priority given to military spending in relation to social spending.

Military Spending in the Developing World

While the amount of military spending in developing countries is small by comparison to global spending, it often occupies budget space desperately needed for development and social service.
Research sponsored by UNICEF indicates that government spending on basic social services - primary education, basic health, and access to safe water - has a major impact on the welfare of children in poor countries. However, most developing countries spend only 12% to 14% of their national budgets on these services.
The World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT) summary reports that in 1999, on average developing countries spent 14.5% of central government expenditures on the military. In South Asia, the average percentage of military spending by central governments was 16.1%, and in Southern Africa it was 17.1%.

World Military Spending Trends, 1986-1994

	1986	1994	% Change
1. World	1297.0	840.3	-35.2
2. OECD	622.6	540.9	-13.1
3. Non-OECD World	674.4	299.4	-55.6
4. NATO	562.6	469.3	-16.6
5. Non-NATO World	734.4	371.0	-49.5
6. Non-NATO OECD	60.0	71.6	+19.3
7. United States	365.3	288.1	-21.0
8. Non-US World	931.7	552.2	-40.7
9. Non-US OECD	257.3	252.8	-1.7
10. Non-US NATO	197.3	181.2	-8.2
11. Potential Threat States(1)	550.0	167.0	-69.0
Notes: (1)For 1986 includes member states of the Warsaw Treaty,China, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, and Vietnam. For 1994 includes Russia, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, and Vietnam. Sources:US ACDA, World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers 1995(Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1996); International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 1996/97, -1995/96, -1994/95, -1993/94, -1992/93(London: Oxford University Press, 1996-1995; London: Brassey's, 1992-1994.)

Source – The Project on Defense Alternatives

The need for basic social services in developing countries is clearly evident:

Nearly nine million children die each year in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia of preventable diseases.
In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, pregnancy and childbirth cause the deaths of nearly 500,000 mothers each year.
In the developing world, one third of children do not complete four years of school.
Half of the children in South Asia are malnourished.
Half of the world’s population lacks access to adequate sanitation.

Another issue directly related to world military expenditures is foreign aid. Aid, normally from wealthy countries to developing countries, comes in various forms – humanitarian, development, military, etc. While international aid is substantial, by many standards, wealthy countries give relatively modestly, and much aid is heavily tied to the foreign policy objectives of the donor country rather than to the needs of the recipient country.

Source – Global Policy Forum

Data from SIPRI and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

Some things to consider regarding aid to developing countries:

Nearly all developed countries have consistently failed to meet the UN goal of 0.7% GDP.
Reality of Aid, an international non-governmental initiative, estimates that 25% of annual expenditures on arms by the USA, UK, France, Germany, and Japan would be needed to reach the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015.
According to UNICEF, the world could meet basic human needs for everyone on earth if $70 to $80 billion - 10% of the world’s military spending - were redirected towards that purpose.

Compiled by the Coordination Office, Decade to Overcome Violence, World Council of Churches. A 30-page document “World Military Spending” is available on the web site with more detailed data and many links.

Website: www.overcomingviolence.org