As tensions escalate, India’s military spend outpaces Pakistan’s by nearly 9 times
As tensions escalate in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, an international report released on Monday underscored the vast disparity in military capabilities between India and Pakistan.
According to the 2024 edition of the “Trends in World Military Expenditure” report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s military spending was nearly nine times higher than Pakistan’s last year.
The data also shows that China’s military expenditure in 2024 exceeded the combined defence spending of India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
According to the report, in 2024, India spent USD 86.1 billion on its military needs, ranking fifth globally, while Pakistan spent USD 10.2 billion, placing it at the 29th position. This means Pakistan’s defence spending amounts to just 11.84% of India’s expenditure.
The report stated that India’s military expenditure surged by 42 per cent since 2015. It noted that how India, one of the largest arms importers in the world, has put in place a policy aimed at reducing its reliance on arms imports.
The policy earmarks 75 per cent of Indian capital outlays (equivalent to 22 per cent of total military spending) to fund domestic military procurement and it has made significant progress over the years, said the report. “India is now able to produce armoured vehicles, helicopters and submarines. However, it remains reliant on imports for some more advanced systems, such as combat aircraft,” it added.
The report also outlines China’s rapidly expanding prowess defence expenditure, which reached USD 314 billion in 2024 — more than the combined military expenditures of India (USD 86.1 billion), Japan (USD 55.3 billion), South Korea (USD 47.6 billion), and Australia (USD 33.8 billion), totaling USD 222.8 billion.
China remains the second-largest military spender after the United States, which tops the list with a staggering USD 997 billion.
The SIPRI report said “China’s 2024 military spending was the largest year-on-year percentage increase since 2015 and the 30th consecutive year of growth—the longest unbroken streak recorded for any country in the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database”.
Chinese spending went up by 59 per cent over the decade 2015–24 and its military build-up has also influenced the military policies of its neighbours, prompting many of them to increase spending.
China’s rising spending is largely driven by its long-term goal of modernising its military across all domains by 2035.
It unveiled several improved capabilities in 2024, including new stealth combat aircraft, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and uncrewed underwater vehicles.
China also continued to rapidly expand its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and moved to strengthen certain types of counterspace and cyberwarfare capabilities. It established separate aerospace and cyberspace forces in 2024, the report said.
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