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NEW DELHI: India has emerged for the first time among the world’s top three nations in terms of military spending, although the United States spends more than 10 times and China nearly four times its defense budget.
The latest data released by global think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday shows that total global military spending rose to $ 1.917 billion in 2019, a 3.6% increase from 2018.
The top five spenders were the United States ($ 732 billion), China ($ 261 billion), India ($ 71.1 billion), Russia ($ 65.1 billion), and Saudi Arabia ($ 61.9 billion). million), which together represent 62% of global military spending. “This is the first time that two Asian states (China was second in 2018 as well, but India was fourth) have appeared among the top three military spenders,” SIPRI said.
India’s annual military spending, of course, includes a huge pension bill for around 3.3 million retired veterans and defense civilians. In the 2020-21 defense budget, for example, the pension bill amounted to almost $ 18 billion out of the total $ 62 billion.
Furthermore, aside from the growing pension bill, the spending on daily running costs and the wage bill of the 1.5 million strong Indian armed forces far outweighed the spending on military modernization.
India has also postponed major new arms systems deals in the context of the government currently facing the huge financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, as TOI reported.
Indeed, the Indian armed forces, despite the fact that the country is the third largest defense spender in the world and the second largest arms importer behind Saudi Arabia, continue to suffer a critical operational shortage on several fronts, from fighters and submarines to basic infantry weapons. and night fighting capabilities.
It also reinforces India’s persistent failure to build a strong Indigenous Defense Industrial Base (DIB), which can make the country strategically vulnerable if supplies are drowned in times of conflict.
SIPRI, meanwhile, said China’s military spending reached $ 261 billion in 2019, an increase of 5.1% compared to 2018, while that of India grew 6.8% to $ 71.1 billion. “India’s tensions and rivalry with Pakistan and China are among the main drivers of its increased military spending,” he said.
Pakistan ranked 24th, with military spending of $ 10.3 billion. In addition to China and India, Japan ($ 47.6 billion) and South Korea ($ 43.9 billion) were the largest military spenders in the Asia and Oceania region. “Military spending in the region has increased every year since at least 1989,” said the SIPRI report.
“India’s spending has grown by 259% during the 30-year period, 1990–2019, and by 37% during the 2010–19 decade. However, its military burden fell from 2.7% (taking into account the defense pensions) of GDP in 2010 to 2.4% in 2019, ”he added.
Pakistan’s military spending, in turn, increased by 70% during the 2010-19 decade, reaching $ 10.3 billion. Its military burden increased from 3.4% of GDP in 2010 to 4% in 2019, he said.
China’s military spending reached $ 261 billion in 2019, an increase of 5.1% compared to 2018. “China’s military spending has increased continuously since 1994 (for 25 consecutive years). The growth of its military spending has coincided closely with the economic growth of the country. Between 2010 and 2019, China’s military burden remained almost unchanged at 1.9% of its GDP, “said SIPRI.
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The latest data released by global think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday shows that total global military spending rose to $ 1.917 billion in 2019, a 3.6% increase from 2018.
The top five spenders were the United States ($ 732 billion), China ($ 261 billion), India ($ 71.1 billion), Russia ($ 65.1 billion), and Saudi Arabia ($ 61.9 billion). million), which together represent 62% of global military spending. “This is the first time that two Asian states (China was second in 2018 as well, but India was fourth) have appeared among the top three military spenders,” SIPRI said.
India’s annual military spending, of course, includes a huge pension bill for around 3.3 million retired veterans and defense civilians. In the 2020-21 defense budget, for example, the pension bill amounted to almost $ 18 billion out of the total $ 62 billion.
Furthermore, aside from the growing pension bill, the spending on daily running costs and the wage bill of the 1.5 million strong Indian armed forces far outweighed the spending on military modernization.
India has also postponed major new arms systems deals in the context of the government currently facing the huge financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, as TOI reported.
Indeed, the Indian armed forces, despite the fact that the country is the third largest defense spender in the world and the second largest arms importer behind Saudi Arabia, continue to suffer a critical operational shortage on several fronts, from fighters and submarines to basic infantry weapons. and night fighting capabilities.
It also reinforces India’s persistent failure to build a strong Indigenous Defense Industrial Base (DIB), which can make the country strategically vulnerable if supplies are drowned in times of conflict.
SIPRI, meanwhile, said China’s military spending reached $ 261 billion in 2019, an increase of 5.1% compared to 2018, while that of India grew 6.8% to $ 71.1 billion. “India’s tensions and rivalry with Pakistan and China are among the main drivers of its increased military spending,” he said.
Pakistan ranked 24th, with military spending of $ 10.3 billion. In addition to China and India, Japan ($ 47.6 billion) and South Korea ($ 43.9 billion) were the largest military spenders in the Asia and Oceania region. “Military spending in the region has increased every year since at least 1989,” said the SIPRI report.
“India’s spending has grown by 259% during the 30-year period, 1990–2019, and by 37% during the 2010–19 decade. However, its military burden fell from 2.7% (taking into account the defense pensions) of GDP in 2010 to 2.4% in 2019, ”he added.
Pakistan’s military spending, in turn, increased by 70% during the 2010-19 decade, reaching $ 10.3 billion. Its military burden increased from 3.4% of GDP in 2010 to 4% in 2019, he said.
China’s military spending reached $ 261 billion in 2019, an increase of 5.1% compared to 2018. “China’s military spending has increased continuously since 1994 (for 25 consecutive years). The growth of its military spending has coincided closely with the economic growth of the country. Between 2010 and 2019, China’s military burden remained almost unchanged at 1.9% of its GDP, “said SIPRI.
