According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute recession hit western nations are cutting their their defense expenditures, but the rest of the world especially Asian countries reported a 1.8% increase in their defense spending.The conflicts like Militant takeover of Iraq and Russia-Ukraine conflict may drive another arms race in the region which will force countries to increase their defense spending.Military spending in Africa increased by 8.3 per cent in 2013, reaching an estimated $44.9 billion. Over two-thirds of the African countries for which data is available increased military spending in 2013. Algeria became the first country in Africa with military spending over $10 billion, an increase of 8.8 per cent since 2012, and of 176 per cent since 2004. Meanwhile, Angola increased its spending by 36 per cent in 2013, to overtake South Africa as the largest military spender in sub-Saharan Africa, and the second highest on the continent. High oil revenues appear to be a factor driving both Algeria’s and Angola’s military spending increases.Chinese defense spending recorded a growth of 7.4% in 2013 and stood at 126 Billion. This will force neighbouring countries to increase their spending as almost all of them having border disputes withChina.Japan’s concerns over China’s growing military power, combined with the Japanese Government’s own nationalist policies, have led to Japan ending its long, gradual decline in military spending. Nevertheless, the largest increase in the region in 2013 was by Afghanistan, by 77 per cent, as it builds up its security forces in preparation from the withdrawal of most foreign troops at the end of 2014.

10)BRAZIL

Spending($ Bn.):33.1

World share: 2.0%

9)INDIA

Spending($ Bn.):41.9

World share: 2.5%

8)GERMANY

Spending($ Bn.):46.5

World share:2.8%

7)JAPAN

Spending($ Bn): 49.8

World share:3.0%

6)FRANCE

Spending($ Bn): 56.8

World share;3.4%

5)UNITED KINGDOM

Spending($ Bn.):57.5

World share:3.4%

4)SAUDI ARABIA

Spending($ Bn):63.3

World share;3.8%

3)RUSSIA

Spending($ Bn.):78

World share:4.7%

2)CHINA

Spending($ Bn):155.1

World share;9.3%

1)UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Spending($ Bn):620.2

World share:37.11%

Note: The List is prepared on the basis of Annual Spending Reports from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and International Institute for Strategic Studies. We have used average of both data to get figures given below. The list may not be hundred percent accurate

Sources:

SIPRI Reports

IPRS Reports

Wikimedia.org

wikipeadia.org

Written and Published by:Anoop Dk