Every year in January, at some point, I remember I need to update the “Global military spending so far this year” calculator on the Conscience web site to reset it. So I check the web site, see it is clearly more than a year’s expenditure, go into the code and realise I don’t need to change it. It changes automatically.
Globally we have already spent nearly £17,000,000,000 on the military.
Countries who will have already spent more than £17,000,000,000 on their own so far this year, in decreasing spend order:
- USA
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- India
- France
- Russia
- UK
- Germany
- Japan
- Korea, South
- Italy
- Brazil
- Australia
I’m sure you can think of your own reasons how some of those countries could be spending their money elsewhere. Such as Australia, which is currently on fire.
Incidentally, last year Iran spent about £10,200,000,000 on their military, 2.7% of GDP, so only slightly more than NATO countries are expected to ‘contribute’. (The term ‘contribute’ is used in the context of NATO as it is, presumably, some sort of charity.)
<Sigh>. Starting another New Year appalled at the waste.