In 2025, Ukraine ranked 7th globally in military expenditures, increasing its defense budget by 20% - one of the highest growth rates among the top 15 nations.

This is confirmed by the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as reported by Dengi.ua. Collectively, the top 15 countries accounted for $2.3 trillion - or 80% - of total global military spending in 2025. View the full report here.

Leaders in Military Spending: Top 5

The top five countries spent a combined $1.686 trillion on defense, accounting for 58% of the global total:

  • US: $954 billion (-7.5% compared to 2024, but +11% compared to 2016)
  • China: $336 billion (+7.4%).
  • Russia: $190 billion (+5.9%).
  • Germany and India: Both remain stable within the top five.

Overall, 12 of the top 15 countries increased their military budgets in 2025, with only the US, the UK, and Israel reporting a decrease.

Defense Budget Growth: Ukraine Among Global Leaders

The highest growth rates among the top 15 countries were recorded by:

  • Spain (15th place): +50%;
  • Poland (14th place): +23%;
  • Italy (12th place) and Ukraine (7th place): +20% each.

China's Military Spending: Record Growth

China has increased its military spending for 31 consecutive years, marking the longest continuous streak in the SIPRI database. In 2025, spending grew by 7.4% - the largest increase in the last decade. Between 2016 and 2025, Beijing’s defense budget grew by a total of 62%.

The U.S. lead is narrowing: while American defense spending was 3.2 times higher than China's in 2024, this gap narrowed to 2.8 times in 2025.

Russia’s Defense Budget: A Record Strain on the Economy

Russia's military spending in 2025 reached $190 billion, a 5.9% increase - the slowest growth rate since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Despite this deceleration, the financial burden on the Russian economy remains critical, consuming 7.5% of GDP and 20% of the total state budget. These are the highest figures recorded in the history of SIPRI observations. Furthermore, the share of classified expenditures within Russia's defense budget increased from 73% to 79%.