![\"Top](\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Top-15-military-spenders.png\")
<\/a>Top 15 military spenders<\/p><\/div>\n
China, Russia and Saudi Arabia are among the 23 countries around the world that have more than doubled their military expenditure since 2004, SIPRI said.<\/p>\n
The fall in US spending in 2013, by 7.8%, is the result of the end of the war in Iraq, the beginning of the drawdown from Afghanistan, and the effects of automatic budget cuts passed by the US Congress in 2011, the institute said.<\/p>\n
Austerity policies also continued to determine trends in Western and Central Europe and in other Western countries, SIPRI said.<\/p>\n
“The increase in military spending in emerging and developing countries continues unabated,” said Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman, director of SIPRI\u2019s Military Expenditure Programme.<\/p>\n
“While in some cases it is the natural result of economic growth or a response to genuine security needs, in other cases it represents a squandering of natural resource revenues, the dominance of autocratic regimes, or emerging regional arms races.”<\/p>\n
<\/a>Military spend map (Click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n
Africa and South Africa<\/h3>\n
Africa had the largest relative rise in military spending in 2013 of any region, by 8.3% to $44.9 billion.<\/p>\n
SIPRI pointed out that, while the regional trend tends to be dominated by a few key countries, military spending rose in two-thirds of the countries for which data is available.<\/p>\n
Ghana more than doubled its military spending in 2013, from $109 million in 2012 to $306 million in 2013. This does not include funds from donors, which totalled $47 million in 2013, SIPRI said.<\/p>\n
According to the budget statement, the budget will allow continued modernization of the armed forces, which are heavily involved in international peacekeeping operations.<\/p>\n
Despite the huge increase, Ghana\u2019s military burden in 2013 is projected to be only 0.6% of GDP.<\/p>\n
SIPRI said that Algeria continued the breakneck pace of growth in its military spending, with an 8.8% lift in 2013, to $10.4 billion\u2014the first time an African country has
\nspent more than $10 billion on its military.<\/p>\n
“The reasons for Algeria\u2019s ongoing militarization include its desire for regional power status, the powerful role of the military, the threat of terrorism\u2014including from armed Islamist groups in neighbouring Mali\u2014and the ready availability of oil funds,” the Swedish group said.<\/p>\n
Another country where oil wealth is supporting increased military spending is Angola, which became the second largest military spender in Africa\u2014and the largest in sub-
\nSaharan Africa\u2014in 2013, with an increase of 36% in 2013 (and 175%since 2004), to reach $6.1 billion.<\/p>\n
This is the first time that Angola\u2019s spending has surpassed that of South Africa, which spent $4.1 billion in 2013, an increase of 17% since 2004.<\/p>\n
Angola and Algeria both now have military burdens of 4.8% of GDP, the highest in Africa for countries where recent data is available, SIPRI said.<\/p>\n
More on South Africa<\/h3>\n
South Africa loses its economic crown<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n