Peaceful Future? Reviewing the Military Spending of Top Nations
Military spending is an essential part of nations’ budgets, with certain nations spending the most significant chunk of their budgets on their military. This situation is at best ironic, especially considering all the speeches and campaigns that clamor for world peace. The world clamors so much for peace, yet its top nations spend a great deal on weapons and defense, as though preparing for war.
Based on facts from 2019, the United States is the country that has the highest military budget. The nation spends about $717 billion on its military. This was an increase from previous years and was done to further equip certain American Military outfits. China has always been the country to spend most on the military after the United States for a while now, and the budget as of 2019 was $177 Billion. This budget enabled the country to embark on defense projects such as the Shenyang J-31 and Chengdu J-20 fighter aircraft, among other things.
After the United States and China, the military spending of top nations come in the following order (based on the numbers known in 2019):
- India ($60.9 Billion)
- Germany ($53 Billion)
- Saudi Arabia ($51 Billion)
- The United Kingdom ($49 Billion)
- France ($48 billion)
- Japan ($47 Billion)
- Russia ($46 Billion)
- South Korea ($42 Billion)
Billions of dollars are spent every year on military equipment and training. While this is commendable as it demonstrates a commitment to the security of citizens and sovereignty, one must wonder if the world indeed heads for peace.