Global Defence Spending Trends 2015

Using the most accurate and relevant data available, this report explores the military expenditure and defence budgets for each region, as well as breaking it down by nation. It also analyses the countries with the biggest ‘military burden’, which is the level of investment in defence and security equipment relative to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The biggest increases and decreases in military spending are explored over the last decade on a country-by-country basis. This is also examined for the period 2013-14, which is based on the most recent financial data available.

This analysis can be used as a good indication of the key emerging markets for military equipment. It also indicates the nations with either a waning appetite for defence spending or those governments with limited buying power. Regional fluctuations in military expenditure are analysed in the context of political and social change. Much of the data for this feature has been sourced from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which provides an excellent platform for information on military expenditure, trends, and other defence resources. There are a number of evident and definable trends in the data that are supported by economic necessity and political will. The threat of terrorist insurgencies in North Africa and the Middle East and heightened tension in Eastern Europe are two palpable examples of this, which are explored in greater detail in this report.

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