Methodology

To determine the countries spending the most on war, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed military expenditure in current U.S. dollars in 2020 from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, compiled by the World Bank. Military expenditure covers the expenditures on current military forces and activities, including salaries and benefits, operational expenses, arms and equipment purchases, military construction, research and development, central administration, command, and support. 

Supplemental data on military expenditure as a percentage of GDP also came from SIPRI. We also reviewed World Bank data on military personnel from 2019, the most recent year of available data. Personnel counts include active-duty military personnel as well as paramilitary personnel. Population data for 2020 came from the World Bank.