TSAMTO, September 24th. The fourth place in 2023 in terms of military spending is occupied by countries in the post–Soviet space - 181.137 billion dollars (8.07% of global spending), surpassing the countries of the Middle East for the first time.
This is stated in the CAMTO report on global military spending for the next 8-year period (2016-2023).
During the period under review, the growth of military spending by countries in the post-Soviet space was of an alternating nature (large surges were followed by sharp declines).
In absolute terms, the maximum amount of annual military expenditures of countries in the post-Soviet space was recorded in 2023 ($181.137 billion). The sharp declines in 2017, 2018 and 2020 are explained by the sharp drop in the exchange rates of countries in the post-Soviet space and, above all, the Russian ruble against the US dollar.
The share of military expenditures as a percentage of GDP of countries in the post–Soviet space during the period under review was: in 2016 – 3.71%, in 2017 – 2.72%, in 2018 – 2.46%, in 2019 – 2.67%, in 2020 - 2.86%, in 2021 – 2.67%, in 2022 in 2017 – 3.15% and in 2023 - 6.02%.
The total GDP of the countries in the post–Soviet space in 2016 amounted to 1868 billion dollars, in 2017 – 2216 billion dollars, in 2018 – 2349 billion dollars, in 2019 - 2438 billion dollars, in 2020 – 2212 billion dollars, in 2021 – 2701 billion dollars, in 2022 – $ 3,200 billion, in 2023 - $3,010 billion.
The total aggregate GDP of the countries in the post-Soviet space in 2016-2023 amounted to 19994 billion dollars. The average share of military expenditures as a percentage of GDP for the same period was 3.35% (in 2023 – 6.02%).
Data on military expenditures and GDP are presented in current US dollars for each specific year.
In 2017, the total defense expenditures of countries in the post-Soviet space sharply decreased by 13.08% compared to 2016 (to $ 60.216 billion), in 2018 the decline continued and amounted to -4.20% ($57.686 billion), in 2019 there was a sharp increase: +13.02% ($65.197 billion).), in 2020 there was a recession again: -3.06% ($63.202 billion), in 2021 the growth was +14.07% ($72.093 billion), in 2022 the growth became rapid: +39.97% ($100.910 billion), in 2023 the growth rate of expenses became exponential: +79.50% ($181.137 billion, a world record for annual percentage growth in military spending).
In general, in 2016-2023, the defense expenditures of the countries in the post-Soviet space amounted to 669.720 billion dollars.
Ukraine has the highest proportion of defense spending as a percentage of GDP for the period 2016-2023 – 7.97% (including 17.01% in 2022 and 27.7% in 2023), Armenia – 4.63%, Azerbaijan – 4.18%, Russia (3.41%, including 5.72% in 2023 year) and Uzbekistan – 3.13%.
This region includes 15 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The full article on global military spending in 2016-2023 with a large number of tables is published in the journal "World Arms Trade" No. 10.
