World military expenditure in 2010 is estimated to have been $1630 billion, an increase of 1.3 per cent in real terms.
The USA has increased its military spending by 81 per cent since 2001, and now accounts for 43 per cent of the global total, six times its nearest rival China. At 4.8 per cent of GDP, US military spending in 2010 represents the largest economic burden outside the Middle East.