Washington Rewrites the Navy for Great-Power Conflict 
Power shifts in the global economy 
Former co-owner of Panama Papers law firm convicted of aiding and abetting tax evasion 
Military spending in the Asia-Pacific rose at the fastest pace for 16 years in 2025 as US allies felt “growing uncertainty” over whether Washington would honour its security commitments, according to a new report.
Total global spending reached US$2.89 trillion, an increase of 2.9 per cent from 2024, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank said in its annual report on military expenditure published Monday.
That marked the 11th consecutive year of increases and brought the global military burden to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), the highest since 2009.
Advertisement
The top three military spenders – the United States, mainland China and Russia – spent a combined total of US$1.48 trillion, just over half of the global total.
However, the global expansion in 2025 was slower than the 9.7 per cent figure recorded the year before, mostly due to a decline in US spending.
Advertisement
SIPRI said the 7.5 per cent drop to US$954 billion was caused by Washington not approving any new military aid for Ukraine.
Don't Miss:
-
Trump weighs Iran’s ‘red lines’ as Tehran’s top diplomat engages Russia’s Putin
-
Archaeologists at Pompeii use AI to reveal the face of one of the victims
-
Bruised by Trump, Nato alliance considers end to annual summits
-
Reynosa Wakes to Narco Blockades After Capture of Regional Metros Officer
-
Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14