New york: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is spending far more on waging wars than on building peace, citing a new United Nations report showing that global military expenditure reached a record $2.7 trillion in 2024.
According to Qatar News Agency, Guterres addressed reporters at the UN Headquarters during the release of the report, “The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future.” He emphasized that the significant increase in military spending undermines development goals, fuels arms races, and diverts essential resources away from health, education, and other stability foundations.
In 2024, global military spending surged to a record $2.7 trillion, equating to $334 for every person on Earth. This figure is nearly 13 times the amount of official development assistance from the world’s wealthiest nations and 750 times the UN’s regular budget.
“Our shared promise of sustainable development is in jeopardy. Only one in five Sustainable Development Goal targets is on track. The financing gap is growing — and so is the cost of inaction,” said Guterres. He highlighted that redirecting even a small portion of military expenditure could bridge critical gaps, suggesting that a better future is achievable through prioritizing diplomacy, ensuring transparency and accountability in defense budgets, and enhancing funding for development plans.
Guterres acknowledged the legitimate security responsibilities of governments, which include protecting civilians, safeguarding infrastructure, and addressing immediate threats. However, he stressed that lasting security cannot be achieved by military spending alone.
The report serves as a call to action to rethink priorities and rebalance global investments toward the security the world truly needs. Guterres warned that excessive military spending does not guarantee peace, often undermining it by fueling arms races, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability.