As SIPRI (the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) reports, the US defence spendings have increased for the first time in five years: the proportion of Washington in the world rating of expenses was 36%. In 2018 the USA intends to dramatically increase military costs, Donald Trump requested $639 billion from Congress to the needs of Pentagon.
The authority's base budget was estimated by 10% higher than the rates of 2017, the US President also intends to invest $56 billion in military operations overseas.
China with an indicator of 13% occupies the second place. The PRC's investments in defence increased by 5.4 percentage points to $215 billion. The country's heighten tension of its relations with a number of states (in particular, with Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam) contributed to a major upward review of military budget. It also marked the start of a change in the long downward trend in military spending.
Russia is on the third position with an indicator of 4.1%: the level of military spending increased by 5.9 percentage points. Last year $69.2 billion were spent, SIPRI reports. According to the Institute, the Russian military costs have increased by 87% since 2007.
In 2016 RF spent 5.3% of GDP on army – it is the highest level in the history of independent Russia and the seventh of the largest ones in the world.
Saudi Arabia turned out to be on the fourth place (3.8%). In 2015 it took the third position. The reduction in costs was significant – 30%, the spendings were equal to $63.7 billion in absolute terms.
Research has shown that the lowest level of arms expenditures was observed in oil-dependent coutries. Most likely, that is due to the drop in world oil prices. Along with Saudi Arabia, the arms expenditures were reduced by Venezuela (–56%), South Sudan (–54%), Azerbaijan (–36%), Iraq (–36%).
An impressive increase of military spending was demostrated by India, which moved from the seventh place to the fifth position of the rating. According to the authors of the article, today India is one of the largest buyers of the Russian military hardware.
India is the secong most populous country of the world, where about 1.3 billion people live. The state has the third largest army in the world. Each year India increases its military budget for emergency preparedness.
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