NEW DELHI: For the first time since 2011, global military spending rose in 2015 to touch nearly USD 1.7 trillion driven mainly by conflicts, including the war against ISIS, the Saudi-led action in Yemen and Chinese expansion in South China Sea even as India’s expenditure on arms remained ahead of countries like France, Germany and Japan.
The study by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) also noted that Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support to Ukrainian separatists also accounted for the spending having gone up by one per cent in real terms as compared to 2014.
“World military expenditure rose by 1 per cent in 2015. The first increase in military spending since 2011, it reflects continuing growth in Asia and Oceania, Central and Eastern Europe, and some Middle Eastern states,” the institute said.
It added that the US remained by far the world’s largest spender in 2015 despite its defence expenditure falling by 2.4 per cent to USD 596 billion. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel