World military spending

Arms spending up globally, except in US, Western Europe

World military spending was largely unchanged in 2014 as lower spending in the United States and Western Europe was matched by increases elsewhere, prompted by conflicts in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa, an arms watchdog said April 13.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said total global arms expenditure was down 0.4 percent at $1.8 trillion.