Global Military Expenditure Hits $2.7 Trillion, UN Warns of Rising Threats
Numbers released in the report show defense spending increased in all regions in the past year, the sharpest rise in a single year in more than three decades.
. For perspective, the UN noted that eliminating extreme poverty would take less than $300 billion—much less than what the world is already spending on military spending.Photo/ Courtesy
By Juliet jerotich
World defense spending jumped to a record high of $2.7 trillion in 2024, driven by ongoing wars and rising geopolitical tensions.
Receiving a new UN report, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that humanity is spending far more on preparing for war than on a future of peace. “Humanity is spending much more on war preparation than on a future of peace,” he said.
Numbers released in the report show defense spending increased in all regions in the past year, the sharpest rise in a single year in more than three decades. For perspective, the UN noted that eliminating extreme poverty would take less than $300 billion—much less than what the world is already spending on military spending.
Guterres highlighted the imbalance, stating, “If we spent on fighting poverty at half the level we spend on weapons, the world would already be a better place.”
Aid or Weapons?
The UN report reveals the difference between military expenditure and development assistance. The $2.7 trillion spent on defense during 2024 was 750 times greater than the UN’s regular budget and nearly 13 times greater than OECD development committee disbursed development aid.
Reallocating even a portion of that money would transform world development, Guterres argued. It would cover universal education for children in impoverished nations, end child malnutrition, boost renewable energy, improve health systems, and fund climate adaptation in vulnerable countries.
Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN chief disarmament officer, asserted the choice is no longer an option. “Rebalancing global priorities is a necessity for humanity’s survival,” she stated.
Development at Risk
The report warns that sustainable development is falling behind. Only one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is on course. While defense spending is on the increase, governments are cutting or freezing spending on education, health, poverty eradication, infrastructure, and the environment—eroding progress on nearly all SDGs.
Haoliang Xu, deputy director of the UN Development Programme, maintained that security is driven by development. “When people have access to education, health, and livelihoods, societies become more peaceful and stable,” he stated.
A Human-Centered Approach
The UN called for a new security vision based on people. Guterres emphasized that stability comes from being rooted in diplomacy, cooperation, and sustainable development.
The report argues that inequality, poverty, and underdevelopment fuel instability in a vicious circle in which governments spend more money on defense. Breaking that cycle requires moving resources away from weapons towards the needs of people.
“The facts are unambiguously clear,” Guterres concluded. “Massive military spending does not always purchase peace. Rather, too often it destroys it—spreading suspicion, arms races, and sucking resources away from the very foundations of stability.”
About Author
