According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military expenditure rose to a record $2.46 trillion in 2025, marking a 7.4% increase from 2024. This is the highest level since SIPRI began tracking data in 1949.
In Africa, Algeria and Morocco are the continent's top military spenders. Algeria spent $18.3 billion in 2025, a 4.2% increase from the previous year, while Morocco's spending reached $13.1 billion, up 6.8%. Both countries have been modernizing their armed forces amid ongoing tensions over Western Sahara.
The increase in spending reflects broader global trends, with Europe seeing a 12% rise due to the war in Ukraine, and Asia-Pacific also growing significantly. The United States remains the world's largest spender at $967 billion, followed by China and Russia.
