Swedish think-tank SIPRI says: India's military expenditure was nearly nine times that of Pakistan

India's military spending in 2024 was nearly nine times that of Pakistan's expenditure in 2024, according to a study released on Monday (April 28, 2025) by a leading Swedish think-tank.

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

The country’s military expenditure, the fifth largest globally, grew by 1.6% to $86.1 billion, while Pakistan spent $10.2 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The top five military spenders — the United States, China, Russia, Germany and India — accounted for 60% of the global total, with combined spending of $1,635 billion, it said.

China’s military expenditure increased by 7% to an estimated $314 billion, marking three decades of consecutive growth, the study noted.

The communist nation accounted for 50% of all military spending in Asia and Oceania, investing in the continued modernisation of its military and expansion of its cyberwarfare capabilities and nuclear arsenal, SIPRI said in the report titled ‘Trends in World Military Expenditure 2024.’