UN Report Warns Record Military Spending Threatens Peace and Development Goals

Global military spending has reached historic highs, raising alarm at the United Nations about its devastating impact on peace, stability, and sustainable development. A new report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, titled The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future, warns that the current trajectory risks undermining both the UN Charter and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Military Spending at Record Levels

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, worldwide military expenditure hit $2.7 trillion in 2024, representing a 9 percent increase from 2023. This marks the highest level of global defense spending in modern history. If unchecked, spending is projected to soar to $6.6 trillion by 2035.

Military budgets now account for 2.5 percent of global GDP (up from 2.2 percent in 2022) and 7.1 percent of government budgets worldwide. Over 100 countries increased their military expenditures in 2024 alone, reflecting intensifying geopolitical tensions, arms races, and widespread insecurity.

Guterres cautioned that excessive military spending often has the opposite effect of its intended purpose. “Excessive military spending does not guarantee peace—it often undermines it, fueling arms races, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability,” he said.

Trade-offs with Development and Human Security

The report highlights the stark trade-offs created by runaway defense spending. The annual financing gap for achieving the SDGs is already $4 trillion and could widen to $6.4 trillion in coming years if trends continue. At the same time, official development assistance (ODA) is declining, leaving critical social investments underfunded.

Research shows that even a 1 percent rise in military spending in low- and middle-income countries correlates with a near-equal cut in public health budgets. This diverts resources from essential services like pandemic preparedness, maternal health, and education—areas that directly determine human security.

The UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, underscored the urgency of a paradigm shift: “We need a new vision of security—human-centered and rooted in the UN Charter. Rebalancing global priorities is not optional; it is an imperative for humanity’s survival.”

Social and Economic Consequences

Beyond budgetary trade-offs, the report shows that defense spending is less effective at creating jobs compared to civilian investments. For every $1 billion spent on the military, about 11,200 jobs are generated. The same amount, if invested elsewhere, could produce 26,700 jobs in education, 17,200 in healthcare, or 16,800 in clean energy.

Similarly, the environmental toll is high: each dollar spent on military activity generates more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions compared to civilian sectors. Reinvesting 15 percent of current global military spending (about $387 billion) could fully cover the annual climate adaptation needs of developing countries.

The Cost of Missed Opportunities

The report draws striking comparisons to demonstrate how redirecting even a fraction of military spending could change lives:

• $93 billion (3.4% of military spending) could end hunger by 2030.

• $285 billion (10%) could fully vaccinate every child in the world.

• $5 trillion (less than two years of current defense budgets) could finance 12 years of quality education for every child in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

“Development is a driver of security,” said Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). “When people have education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, societies are more peaceful and resilient.”

A Call for Rebalancing Security and Development

The report stresses the need for diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and human-centered approaches to security, warning that without urgent recalibration, the world risks greater instability and inequality.

UN Member States requested this analysis as part of the Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future, underscoring global concern over military expenditure’s impact on sustainable development.

“This is a critical inflection point,” Guterres said. “We must choose whether to continue down the path of escalating militarization, or reinvest in human security, cooperation, and sustainable peace.”