By practically any measure, the world today is more peaceful and less war-torn on a global scale, relative to the past.

For instance, declarations of war between nations and soldier casualties have both dropped drastically since the 20th century. Yet, military spending has not followed this trend.
The Top 10 Military Spenders

According to SIPRI, global military spend reached almost $2 trillion in 2020. The top 10 countries represent roughly 75% of this figure, and have increased their spending by $51 billion since the year prior. //

The U.S. isn’t labeled as a global superpower for nothing. The country is by far the largest military spender, and its $778 billion budget trumps the remainder of the list’s collective $703.6 billion. On its own, the U.S. represents just under 40% of global military spending. //

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP can be used to compare military spending relative to the size of a country’s economy.

When looking at things this way, many of the top spenders above do not appear. This may be an indication of their economic prowess or a demonstration that the money might be used for other vital areas such as education, healthcare, or infrastructure.

#1 🇴🇲 Oman Middle East 11.0%
#2 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Middle East 8.4%
#3 🇩🇿 Algeria North Africa 6.7%
#4 🇰🇼 Kuwait Middle East 6.5%
#5 🇮🇱 Israel Middle East 5.6%
#6 🇷🇺 Russia Europe/Asia 4.3%
#7 🇲🇦 Morocco North Africa 4.3%
#8 🇮🇶 Iraq Middle East 4.1%
#9 🇺🇦 Ukraine Europe 4.1%
#10 🇵🇰 Pakistan South Asia 4.0%