Reduce Military Spending

Global Fact Sheet

Global military spending levels have climbed back to the heights they reached during the Cold War. After dropping substantially during the early 1990s, total world military spending in 2009 had reached $1.53 trillion (SIPRI, 2010).

This colossal sum of money would be sufficient to achieve the Millennium Development Goals five times over. It could be used to save lives, develop poor communities, protect the environment, to promote renewable energy sources and much more.

The government of the United States spends approximately $1 million every minute on military and war related costs.

• During the last year, the world spent 1,531 USD billion on the military
• Reducing child mortality and improving maternal health would cost USD 10 billion /year
• Ensuring environmental sustainability would cost USD 155.6 billion/year
• Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger would cost USD 102 billion/year
• Reducing child mortality and improve maternal health would cost USD 10 billion /year

The amount spent on French military equipment in one year would cover interventions directly aimed at achieving gender equality in low income countries for a whole year.

The amount the USA spends on military research and development in one year would be enough to cover interventions directly aimed at achieving gender equality in low income countries for five years.

Many more jobs

In the US, it has been found that each $1 billion of military expenditure created 8900 jobs, compared to 12,200 jobs for spending on clean energy, 14,000 jobs for health spending and 20,800 for education.

Almost 1 billion people are illiterate.

• In the developing world, one third of children do not complete four years of school.
• Half of the children in South Asia are undernourished.
• Half of the world’s population lack access to adequate sanitation.
• 1.7 billion people don’t have safe water.

Comparisons between countries' GDP for health, education and the military: