UN Warns Record $2.7T Military Spending Endangers Global Peace

Global military spending reached a record high of $2.7 trillion in 2024, marking a significant increase amid rising geopolitical tensions, according to multiple United Nations reports and statements by Secretary-General António Guterres. Guterres emphasized that this surge in military expenditure diverts critical resources from essential areas such as health, education, and sustainable development, thereby jeopardizing progress toward the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with only one in five targets currently on track for 2030. He warned that excessive military spending does not guarantee peace but rather fuels arms races, deepens mistrust, and undermines global stability. The increase in military budgets is widespread, with over 100 countries raising their defense spending, and military expenditure now accounts for a growing share of the global economy and government budgets. Meanwhile, the United States, under President Donald Trump's administration, has reignited an arms race with plans to develop a multilayered missile defense system in space, known as the Golden Dome, which experts fear could escalate tensions with Russia and China. The UN calls for a rebalancing of priorities, urging nations to redirect funds from military buildup toward diplomacy, development, and the foundational elements of lasting security.