Quotes by SIPRI

Between 2001 and 2011 the [US] Department of Defense’s base budget, which excludes war and nuclear weapons funding, grew from $390 billion to $540 billion, an increase of 38 percent.

- In 2008, world military spending reached 1.46 trillion dollars, representing 2.4 percent of world GDP. Its level is now higher than during the latest Cold War peak in the 1980s.

- The 10 biggest military spenders last year were: the United States (607 billion dollars), China (84.9 billion), France (65.7 billion), Britain (65.3 billion), Russia (58.6 billion), Germany (46.8 billion), Japan (46.3 billion), Italy (40.6 billion), Saudi Arabia (38.2 billion) and India (30.0 billion).

- During the eight-year presidency of George W. Bush, U.S. military expenditure increased to the highest level in real terms since World War II, mostly due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

- The United States accounts for 41.5% (2008) of world military spending