| Total health care cost/yr | $8,412,690,705,706.00 | 8.41 trillion |
Top 10 Biggest Military Spenders
Let’s first take a look at the overall growth trends. The world’s military spending grew by 3.6% year-over-year (YoY)—currently the highest rate this decade—to surpass $1.9 trillion in 2019.
While just 10 countries are responsible for nearly 75% of this amount, the U.S. alone made up the lion’s share with 38% of the global total. In fact, its YoY rise in spending alone of $49.2 billion rivals Germany’s entire spending for the same year.
Naturally, many questions rise about where this money goes, including the inevitable surplus of military equipment, from night vision goggles to armored vehicles, that trickles down to law enforcement around the nation.
Here’s how world’s top 10 military spenders compare against each other:
| Country | Military Spending (’19) | YoY % change | Military Spending as % of GDP (’19) |
|---|---|---|---|
U.S.  | $731.8B | +5.3% | 3.4% |
China  | $261.1B | +5.1% | 1.9% |
India  | $71.1B | +6.8% | 2.4% |
Russia  | $65.1B | +4.5% | 3.9% |
Saudi Arabia  | $61.2B | -16.0% | 8.0% |
France  | $50.1B | +1.6% | 1.9% |
Germany  | $49.3B | +10.0% | 1.3% |
UK  | $48.7B | 0.0% | 1.7% |
Japan  | $47.6B | -0.1% | 0.9% |
South Korea  | $43.9B | +7.5% | 2.7% |
| Global Total | $1.92T | +3.6% | 2.2% |
China and India, currently embroiled in a border dispute, have upped the ante for military spending in Asia. India is also involved in clashes with its neighbor Pakistan for territorial claim over Kashmir—one of the most contested borders in the world.