Global military spending hit an all-time high of $2.7 trillion in 2024, marking a 9% jump from the previous year. According to a new UN report, The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future, this surge signals a troubling drift away from the principles of the UN Charter.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that “excessive military spending does not guarantee peace. It often undermines it—fueling arms races, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability.”
If current trends persist, global military expenditure could reach $6.6 trillion by 2035, warns the report. Meanwhile, progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains critically off-track. The financing gap for the SDGs—already at $4 trillion—could widen to $6.4 trillion in the coming years.
The report highlights a stark paradox: while governments expand defense budgets, they are slashing resources for development, health, and education—areas vital for lasting peace.
Military budgets are consuming a growing share of national wealth. Since 2022, defense spending has risen from 2.2% to 2.5% of global GDP and from 6.6% to 7.1% of government budgets, with more than 100 countries increasing allocations in 2024 alone.
For low- and middle-income countries, the trade-offs are devastating. A 1% rise in defense budgets often results in an almost equal cut in public health services, undermining pandemic preparedness and essential health programs. Rising debt from defense spending is also projected to burden future generations.
Izumi Nakamitsu, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, stressed the need for “a new vision of security—human-centered and rooted in the UN Charter. A vision that safeguards people, not just borders; that prioritizes equity, institutions, and planetary sustainability.”
Similarly, UNDP’s Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu noted that development is itself a driver of security: “When people’s lives improve—when they have education, healthcare, and dignity—societies become more peaceful.”
The report argues that even modest reallocations of military budgets could transform global development:
$93 billion (3.4%) could end hunger by 2030.
$285 billion (10.5%) could vaccinate every child worldwide.
$5 trillion could finance 12 years of quality education for every child in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Moreover, investments in civil sectors create more jobs and lower emissions. For example, $1 billion in defense spending creates about 11,200 jobs, but the same amount generates 26,700 jobs in education, 17,200 in health, and 16,800 in clean energy.
Redirecting 15% of global defense spending ($387 billion) would be enough to fund climate adaptation for developing nations—while also reducing emissions, as military activities are among the most carbon-intensive sectors.
At a time of widening inequality, fractured trust, and rising geopolitical tensions, the UN is making a clarion call for diplomacy, cooperation, and sustainable investment.
The message is clear: the path to real security lies not in record arms spending, but in building resilient societies where people’s needs—and the planet’s future—come first.