Arms and the man

By R.L.W. and L.P.

The countries spending the most on their military

THE world is getting more weapons, but not necessarily more safe. Military spending increased last year in every region except the West. Strikingly, Russia spent more than America relative to the size of its economy for the first time in a decade (4.1% versus 3.8% of GDP, respectively). Saudi Arabia spent 9.3% of its GDP, the highest proportion of the world's biggest spending countries, having squeezed past Japan, France and Britain. The annual spending estimates released this week by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute present a mixed picture. Global outlays in 2013 declined for the second year running—but chiefly due to America, which accounts for 37% of the total, as it draws its troops out of Afghanistan. However others are splurging. Over the past decade more than 20 countries—including China, Saudi Arabia and Russia—have more than doubled their spending. Since 2004 China's military spending has outstripped its GDP growth. With tensions growing in Ukraine, budgets in the West might start to increase too.