Report: World military spending rises, US drops

World military spending increased last year for the first time since 2011, though U.S. spending dropped by 2.4 percent, according to a report released Tuesday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The United States, though, still remains the top military spender in the world, the report says, with spending totaling $596 billion in 2015.

The 2.4 percent dip in U.S. spending was the smallest annual drop since 2011, according to the report. Other years saw more significant declines, for example in 2014 spending fell 6.5 percent, and in 2013 it dropped 7.8 percent.

The sharp decreases in previous years were due to withdrawing troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and the 2011 Budget Control Act. But short-term budget deals in 2014 and 2015 have curtailed the cuts.

Projections show U.S. military spending staying roughly the same in 2016, according to the report.

Overall, world military spending rose 1 percent in 2015 to $1.7 trillion. The increase largely came from Asia and Oceania, Central and Eastern Europe, and some Middle Eastern states, according to the report.

For example, China’s spending rose by 7.4 percent to $215 billion, Saudi Arabia’s grew by 5.7 percent to $87.2 billion, and Russia’s increased by 7.5 percent to $66.4 billion.

Saudi Arabia overtook Russia to become the third largest military spender. That was largely due to the fall in value of the ruble, according to the report.

From 2006 to 2015, the largest increase in spending in the world came from Iraq, which is rebuilding its military and fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In 2015, Iraq spent $13.1 billion, up 35 percent from 2014 and 536 percent from 2006.

Spending in Central Europe increased by 13 percent, with countries bordering Russia and Ukraine seeing the biggest increases. The growth reflects the growing fear of Russia aggression, the report says.

In Western Europe, spending was down by 1.3 percent. That’s a slower rate than previous years, reflecting concern about Russia and ISIS, according to the report.

The institute’s data is based on open sources only, including a questionnaire sent out annually to governments. The figures include spending for the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defense ministries and other government agencies engaged in defense projects; paramilitary forces, when judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities.