India’s army spending practically 9 occasions that of Pakistan in 2024, says SIPRI report

India’s army spending in 2024 was practically 9 occasions that of Pakistan’s expenditure, in keeping with a examine launched on Monday by a number one Swedish think-tank that comes amid rising tensions between the 2 international locations over the Pahalgam assault.

India’s army expenditure, the fifth largest globally, grew by 1.6% to USD 86.1 billion whereas Pakistan’s spent USD 10.2 billion, in keeping with the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (SIPRI).

The highest 5 army spenders – america, China, Russia, Germany and India – accounted for 60 per cent of the worldwide complete, with mixed spending of USD 1635 billion, it mentioned.

China’s army expenditure elevated by 7.0 per cent to an estimated USD 314 billion, marking three many years of consecutive development, the examine famous.

The communist nation accounted for 50 per cent of all army spending in Asia and Oceania, investing within the continued modernisation of its army and enlargement of its cyberwarfare capabilities and nuclear arsenal, it mentioned within the report titled “Developments in World Navy Expenditure 2024”.

The SIPRI mentioned army spending in Europe (together with Russia) rose by 17 per cent to USD 693 billion and was the primary contributor to the worldwide improve in 2024.

With the warfare in Ukraine in its third yr, army expenditure stored rising throughout the continent, pushing European army spending past the extent recorded on the finish of the Chilly Battle, it famous.

The SIPRI mentioned Russia’s army expenditure reached an estimated USD 149 billion in 2024, a 38 per cent improve from 2023 and double the extent in 2015.

This represented 7.1 per cent of Russia’s GDP and 19 per cent of all Russian authorities spending.

Ukraine’s complete army expenditure grew by 2.9 per cent to achieve USD 64.7 billion – equal to 43 per cent of Russia’s spending.

At 34 per cent of GDP, Ukraine had the biggest army burden of any nation in 2024, the report added.

“Russia as soon as once more considerably elevated its army spending, widening the spending hole with Ukraine,” mentioned Diego Lopes da Silva, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Navy Expenditure and Arms Manufacturing Programme.

“Ukraine at present allocates all of its tax revenues to its army. In such a decent fiscal area, it will likely be difficult for Ukraine to maintain growing its army spending,” he mentioned.

A number of international locations in central and western Europe noticed unprecedented rises of their army expenditure in 2024 as they carried out new spending pledges and large-scale procurement plans, SIPRI mentioned.

It mentioned Germany’s army expenditure elevated by 28 per cent to achieve USD 88.5 billion, making it the largest spender in central and western Europe and the fourth largest on this planet.

Poland’s army spending grew by 31 per cent to USD 38.0 billion in 2024, representing 4.2 per cent of Poland’s GDP, in keeping with SIPRI.