Military spending worldwide has increased for an eighth consecutive year in 2022 to reach $2.2 trillion, levels never seen since the end of the Cold War, a Stockholm think tank said on April 24.
The military spending values were adjusted for inflation, and an increase of 3.7 percent compared to 2021 was observed, according to a statement from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). There was a 13 percent increase in spending in Europe.
Military spending is not only arms spending, but also includes other costs, such as salaries and research and development.
The United States, China, and Russia were the biggest spenders in 2022.
“The continuous rise in global military expenditure in recent years is a sign that we are living in an increasingly insecure world,” said Nan Tian, a senior researcher with SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program….