Demographics
Ranked: The 25 Countries Receiving the Most U.S. Immigration Visas
The Top 25 Countries Receiving the Most U.S. Immigration Visas
Although many Americans feel that their country is on the wrong track, this does not stop foreigners from wanting to move to the United States. For many around the globe, the promise of the American dream is still worth the permanent move and hundreds of thousands of people every year apply for their U.S. immigration visas.
The ranking uses annual data from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to visualize the countries whose citizens are receiving the highest number of U.S. immigrant visas.
U.S. Immigration Processes
The process of U.S. immigration is confusing at best, but it always starts with a visa. A visa, in the context of immigration, is essentially a permit to enter the country, issued to those looking to work and live in the United States. There are two visa categories: immigrant and non-immigrant.
Non-immigrant visas
These visas are typically for temporary workers, but also serve other purposes, like basic travel for tourists from certain countries. Even when obtained for work purposes however, non-immigrant visas expire and do not lead to green cards or citizenship.
Some examples of non-immigrant visas categories include: members of the press, diplomatic representatives, foreign military personnel stationed in the U.S., athletes, and a plethora of other unique situations. The popular, and nearly unattainable, H-1B visas are actually non-immigrant visas.
Immigrant visas
Immigrant visas, on the other hand, can either be employment-based or family-based. The intention behind them is that they will eventually lead to permanent status in the U.S., either through green cards or citizenship. A common example of an immigration visa is the K-1 visa or the “fiancé visa” for individuals marrying American citizens.
Who’s Getting U.S. Immigrant Visas?
Last year, more than 285,000 U.S. immigrant visas were issued. Here’s a look how that is distributed across every country worldwide:
Rank | Country | Immigrant Visas Issued (2021) |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 40,597 |
#2 | 🇨🇳 China | 18,501 |
#3 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 17,941 |
#4 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 15,862 |
#5 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 10,784 |
#6 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 10,458 |
#7 | 🇮🇳 India | 9,275 |
#8 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 7,813 |
#9 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 7,213 |
#10 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 5,503 |
#11 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 5,342 |
#12 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 5,061 |
#13 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 4,990 |
#14 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 4,785 |
#15 | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 4,770 |
#16 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 4,375 |
#17 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 3,799 |
#18 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 3,585 |
#19 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 3,232 |
#20 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 3,216 |
#21 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 3,180 |
#22 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 3,048 |
#23 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 3,019 |
#24 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2,954 |
#25 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 2,802 |
#26 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 2,785 |
#27 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 2,717 |
#28 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 2,650 |
#29 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2,423 |
#30 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 2,402 |
#31 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,230 |
#32 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 2,216 |
#33 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 2,031 |
#34 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 1,922 |
#35 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1,897 |
#36 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 1,794 |
#37 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 1,775 |
#38 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 1,772 |
#39 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 1,612 |
#40 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 1,586 |
#41 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 1,543 |
#42 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 1,481 |
#43 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1,464 |
#44 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1,401 |
#45 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 1,361 |
#46 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 1,221 |
#47 | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,203 |
#48 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 1,154 |
#49 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1,086 |
#50 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 992 |
#51 | 🇹🇬 Togo | 989 |
#52 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 942 |
#53 | 🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | 924 |
#54 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR | 838 |
#55 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 803 |
#56 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 799 |
#57 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | 793 |
#58 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 787 |
#59 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 783 |
#60 | 🇸🇾 Syria | 757 |
#61 | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 724 |
#62 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 714 |
#63 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 706 |
#64 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 701 |
#65 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 652 |
#66 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 642 |
#67 | 🇫🇷 France | 622 |
#67 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 622 |
#69 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 611 |
#70 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 608 |
#71 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 599 |
#72 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 598 |
#73 | 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | 597 |
#74 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 592 |
#75 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 587 |
#76 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 584 |
#77 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 579 |
#78 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 566 |
#79 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 543 |
#80 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 537 |
#81 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 522 |
#82 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 520 |
#83 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 513 |
#84 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 505 |
#85 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 500 |
#86 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 493 |
#87 | 🇬🇲 The Gambia | 484 |
#88 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 472 |
#89 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 471 |
#90 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 444 |
#91 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 416 |
#92 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 412 |
#93 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 410 |
#94 | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 371 |
#95 | 🇵🇦 Panama | 363 |
#96 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 355 |
#97 | 🇧🇯 Benin | 343 |
#98 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 330 |
#99 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 328 |
#100 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 308 |
#101 | 🇧🇸 The Bahamas | 303 |
#102 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 301 |
#103 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 298 |
#104 | 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | 292 |
#105 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 291 |
#106 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 284 |
#107 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 281 |
#108 | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 279 |
#109 | 🇧🇿 Belize | 278 |
#110 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 259 |
#111 | 🇱🇾 Libya | 233 |
#112 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 231 |
#112 | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 231 |
#114 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 213 |
#115 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 205 |
#116 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 203 |
#117 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 196 |
#118 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 190 |
#119 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 182 |
#120 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 177 |
#121 | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 170 |
#122 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 168 |
#123 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 152 |
#124 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 148 |
#124 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 148 |
#126 | 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 146 |
#127 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 144 |
#128 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 142 |
#129 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 131 |
#130 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 123 |
#131 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 120 |
#132 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 114 |
#133 | 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 113 |
#134 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 112 |
#135 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 111 |
#136 | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo | 108 |
#137 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 105 |
#138 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 104 |
#139 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 98 |
#140 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 96 |
#141 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 89 |
#142 | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 80 |
#142 | 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 80 |
#144 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 77 |
#145 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 66 |
#146 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 65 |
#147 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 62 |
#148 | 🇹🇩 Chad | 57 |
#149 | 🇦🇴 Angola | 52 |
#150 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 49 |
#151 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 48 |
#152 | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 45 |
#153 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | 41 |
#153 | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 41 |
#155 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 38 |
#156 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 36 |
#156 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 36 |
#156 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 36 |
#159 | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 35 |
#159 | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 35 |
#161 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 32 |
#162 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 28 |
#163 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 23 |
#164 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 22 |
#165 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 21 |
#165 | 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands | 21 |
#167 | 🇲🇴 Macau SAR | 20 |
#168 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 11 |
#168 | 🇲🇫 Saint Martin | 11 |
#168 | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 11 |
#171 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 10 |
#171 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 10 |
#171 | 🇦🇮 Anguilla | 10 |
#174 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 9 |
#174 | 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten | 9 |
#174 | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 9 |
#177 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 8 |
#177 | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 8 |
#177 | 🇨🇼 Curaçao | 8 |
#180 | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 7 |
#181 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 6 |
#182 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 5 |
#182 | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 5 |
#184 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 4 |
#184 | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 4 |
#186 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 3 |
#186 | 🇲🇸 Montserrat | 3 |
#188 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 2 |
#188 | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 2 |
#188 | 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 2 |
#188 | 🇬🇮 Gibraltar | 2 |
#188 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 2 |
#188 | 🇫🇲 Federated Sates of Micronesia | 2 |
#194 | 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe | 1 |
#194 | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 1 |
#194 | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 1 |
#194 | 🇲🇨 Monaco | 1 |
#194 | 🇨🇽 Christmas Island | 1 |
#194 | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 1 |
#194 | 🇵🇼 Palau | 1 |
#194 | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 1 |
#194 | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 1 |
#203 | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 0 |
#203 | 🇪🇭 Western Sahara | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 0 |
#203 | 🇦🇩 Andorra | 0 |
#203 | 🇫🇴 Faroe Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 0 |
#203 | 🇹🇫 French Southern and Antarctic Lands | 0 |
#203 | 🇧🇱 St. Barthelemy | 0 |
#203 | 🇵🇲 St. Pierre and Miquelon | 0 |
#203 | 🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna | 0 |
#203 | 🇮🇴 British Indian Ocean Territory | 0 |
#203 | 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇵🇳 Pitcairn | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇭 St. Helena | 0 |
#203 | 🇬🇸 South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 0 |
#203 | Northern Ireland (DV Only) | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇯 Svalbard | 0 |
#203 | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 0 |
#203 | 🇻🇦 Vatican City | 0 |
#203 | 🇨🇨 Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇳🇫 Norfolk Island | 0 |
#203 | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 0 |
#203 | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 0 |
#203 | 🇨🇰 Cook Islands | 0 |
#203 | 🇳🇺 Niue | 0 |
#203 | 🇹🇰 Tokelau | 0 |
#203 | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 0 |
Total | 285,069 |
Mexican citizens received the highest number of visas to immigrate permanently to the U.S. at nearly 40,600. America’s other neighbor, Canada, ranked 43rd, only receiving 1,464 visas. China and India also rank high on the list, ranking at #2 and #7 respectively.
Interestingly, only one European country, Ukraine, made the top 25. In 2021, prior to the Russian invasion, Ukrainians obtained 3,019 visas. A number of the top visa recipient nations are marked by violence and political unrest, like Afghanistan (#5) and Iran (#25).
Looking beyond the top 25, one surprising find is that eight North Korean citizens received immigration visas last year. Additionally, a number of countries only received a handful of U.S. immigrant visas including Luxembourg’s two, and Timor-Leste’s one.
Regionally, the bulk of the highest ranking countries are located in Asia. Here’s a breakdown:
Rank | Region | Immigrant Visas Issued (2021) |
---|---|---|
#1 | Asia | 111,419 |
#2 | North America | 91,919 |
#3 | Africa | 35,776 |
#4 | Europe | 23,972 |
#5 | South America | 20,688 |
#6 | Oceania | 1,295 |
Finally, here’s the geographical distribution of persons receiving U.S. immigrant visas.
The State of U.S. Immigration
Around 15% of the U.S. population is made up of immigrants, and the country is home to the highest number of total immigrants in the world, at 50.6 million.
In terms of how many visas are issued annually, there is a federal ceiling of 700,000 and certain countries have their own specific caps on how many their citizens can receive, as mandated by the United States. Although the numbers change drastically year by year, they have not come close to the limit in the last decade.
Here’s a look at the total U.S. immigrant visa issuances globally. Notably, they diminished by almost half during the pandemic:
Year | Immigrant Visas Issued Worldwide | % Change Year-over-Year |
---|---|---|
2012 | 482,300 | - |
2013 | 473,115 | -1.9% |
2014 | 467,370 | -1.2% |
2015 | 531,463 | +13.7% |
2016 | 617,752 | +16.2% |
2017 | 559,536 | -9.4% |
2018 | 533,557 | -4.6% |
2019 | 462,422 | -13.3% |
2020 | 240,526 | -48.0% |
2021 | 285,069 | +18.5% |
Overall, whether for economic purposes, reunification of families, or in fleeing from danger, people are continuing to come to the United States.
In the period between 2016 and 2060, it’s expected that the share of the U.S. population that is American-born is going to grow by 20%. Meanwhile, the share of the population that is foreign-born is expected to jump by 58%.
Maps
Mapped: World’s Top 40 Largest Military Budgets
War in Europe has caused Ukraine’s military spend to jump up by 640%. How do the world’s largest military budgets compare?
Mapped: World’s Top 40 Largest Military Budgets
In the final year of World War II, the U.S. spent about 38% of its GDP on its military. When adjusted for inflation, the military budget over those four years of war came to a staggering $4.1 trillion in 2020 dollars.
Almost 80 years later, modern day military spending isn’t much of a far cry from World War II budgets. The top spenders have continued to increase their military capabilities, while war in Ukraine has caused countries in the region to re-evaluate their budgets as well.
In 2022, global military budgets hit an all-time high of $2.2 trillion, according to data released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the eighth consecutive year of increase. This post looks at the top 40 largest military budgets in the world.
The Largest Military Budgets in 2022
The United States accounts for almost 40% of global military expenditures, with its 2022 spend coming to $877 billion.
Here are the top 40 largest military budgets in the world for 2022 in U.S. dollars:
Rank | Country | Military Budget (Billions) | % of World Military Spend |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $876.9 | 39.0% |
2 | 🇨🇳 China | $292.0 | 13.0% |
3 | 🇷🇺 Russia | $86.4 | 3.9% |
4 | 🇮🇳 India | $81.4 | 3.6% |
5 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $75.0 | 3.3% |
6 | 🇬🇧 UK | $68.5 | 3.1% |
7 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $55.8 | 2.5% |
8 | 🇫🇷 France | $53.6 | 2.4% |
9 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $46.4 | 2.1% |
10 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $46.0 | 2.1% |
11 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $44.0 | 2.0% |
12 | 🇮🇹 Italy | $33.5 | 1.5% |
13 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $32.3 | 1.4% |
14 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $26.9 | 1.2% |
15 | 🇮🇱 Israel | $23.4 | 1.0% |
16 | 🇪🇸 Spain | $20.3 | 0.9% |
17 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $20.2 | 0.9% |
18 | 🇵🇱 Poland | $16.6 | 0.7% |
19 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $15.6 | 0.7% |
20 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | $15.4 | 0.7% |
21 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $12.5 | 0.6% |
22 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | $11.7 | 0.5% |
23 | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | $10.6 | 0.5% |
24 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $10.3 | 0.5% |
25 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | $9.9 | 0.4% |
26 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | $9.1 | 0.4% |
27 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $9.0 | 0.4% |
28 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $8.5 | 0.4% |
29 | 🇳🇴 Norway | $8.4 | 0.4% |
30 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $8.2 | 0.4% |
31 | 🇬🇷 Greece | $8.1 | 0.4% |
32 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | $7.7 | 0.3% |
33 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $6.9 | 0.3% |
34 | 🇮🇷 Iran | $6.8 | 0.3% |
35 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $6.1 | 0.3% |
36 | 🇴🇲 Oman | $5.8 | 0.3% |
37 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $5.7 | 0.3% |
38 | 🇨🇱 Chile | $5.6 | 0.2% |
39 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | $5.5 | 0.2% |
40 | 🇷🇴 Romania | $5.2 | 0.2% |
China, ranked second in absolute terms, accounts for another 13% of world military expenditure at $292 billion.
Russia, India and Saudi Arabia round out the top five biggest military budgets in 2022. Add in the UK to the mix (#6 rank), and these countries all had military expenditures that made up at least 3% of global spend.
Comparatively, the lowest budgets on the top 40 ranged include Romania at $5.2 billion, Denmark at $5.5 billion, and Chile at $5.6 billion. They each account for just 0.2% of the world’s military budgets in 2022, and of course there are many countries with even smaller spends.
Largest Military Budget Increases in 2022
Russia’s position as the third-largest military spender is a recent development, as the country’s military spend had a 9% increase between 2021 and 2022, according to SIPRI estimates.
On the other side of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was the top 40 military budget with the largest annual increase in 2022, surging nearly six and a half times above its 2021 expenditures.
Country | % Change (2021-2022) | Rank Change (2021-2022) |
---|---|---|
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 640% | +25 |
🇶🇦 Qatar | 27% | +2 |
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 16% | +3 |
🇧🇪 Belgium | 13% | 0 |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | 12% | 0 |
🇸🇪 Sweden | 12% | -1 |
🇵🇱 Poland | 11% | 0 |
🇷🇺 Russia | 9.2% | +2 |
🇩🇰 Denmark | 8.8% | +3 |
🇪🇸 Spain | 7.3% | -1 |
🇳🇴 Norway | 6.2% | 0 |
🇮🇳 India | 6.0% | -1 |
🇯🇵 Japan | 5.9% | -1 |
🇮🇷 Iran | 4.6% | +5 |
🇨🇳 China | 4.2% | 0 |
🇬🇧 UK | 3.7% | -2 |
🇨🇦 Canada | 3.0% | -1 |
🇸🇬 Singapore | 2.8% | +1 |
🇩🇪 Germany | 2.3% | 0 |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 1.3% | 0 |
🇨🇴 Colombia | 1.1% | -1 |
🇺🇸 U.S. | 0.7% | 0 |
🇫🇷 France | 0.6% | -2 |
🇬🇷 Greece | 0.6% | -1 |
🇨🇭 Switzerland | 0.4% | -1 |
🇹🇼 Taiwan | 0.4% | -1 |
🇦🇺 Australia | 0.3% | -1 |
🇵🇰 Pakistan | -2.0% | -3 |
🇰🇷 South Korea | -2.5% | +1 |
🇷🇴 Romania | -2.6% | +1 |
🇴🇲 Oman | -3.0% | +1 |
🇩🇿 Algeria | -3.7% | -1 |
🇮🇱 Israel | -4.2% | -1 |
🇮🇹 Italy | -4.5% | -1 |
🇨🇱 Chile | -6.2% | -3 |
🇧🇷 Brazil | -7.9% | -1 |
🇲🇽 Mexico | -9.7% | 0 |
🇰🇼 Kuwait | -11% | -4 |
🇹🇭 Thailand | -11% | -5 |
🇹🇷 Türkiye | -26% | -6 |
Ukraine’s dramatic increase represents the highest single-year jump ever recorded by SIPRI, painting a vivid before-and-after picture of a nation engaged in conflict.
Although no other country comes close in matching Ukraine’s surge in defense spending, Qatar saw a substantial increase of 27% over the last year, marking a continuing trend over the last decade of significantly bolstering its military.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia, along with four European nations (Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Poland), have registered year-over-year changes of over 10%.
On the flipside, 13 of the nations with the largest military budgets decreased spend from 2021, including top 15 spenders such as South Korea, Italy, and Israel.
The largest drop was seen by Türkiye, with an estimated 26% reduction in military budget. This drop may be linked to Türkiye’s inflation problem, which saw prices rise 72.3% in 2022—effectively decreasing the purchasing power of their currency in relative terms to other nations.
The Specter of War in Europe
With an ongoing conflict in the region and large financial powerhouses, its no surprise that eight of the top 10 countries with the most significant increases in military spending are located in Europe.
Consequently, European military budgets have reached levels not witnessed since the end of the Cold War.
And amid escalating geopolitical concerns, countries in Asia such as India, Japan, and China have also ramped up their defense spending. This is an indication of simmering global flashpoints such as India and China’s border skirmishes, the longstanding South China Sea territorial conflict, and concerns surrounding Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Data note: SIPRI’s military expenditure data collection began in 1949, thus its records do not account for all expenditure that occurred during both World Wars.
Please see SIPRI’s methodologies page for more details on how they collect their data and create estimates.
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