Countries around the world are spending as much money on their militaries today as they did 30 years ago. Researchers say military spending worldwide in 2018 was fueled by increased spending in the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported Monday that governments spent $1.82 trillion on troops and military equipment in 2018. That represents an increase of 2.6 percent on the total a year earlier. SIPRI said the amount spent last year represents the most military spending since 1988. That was the year when spending information first became available as Cold War tensions began to ease. The Cold War lasted over 30 years. On one side was the Soviet Union and its allies, largely in Eastern Europe. On the other was the United States and its allies, mostly in western countries. Last year, U.S. military spending rose 4.6 percent to reach $649 billion. The United States spent more than any other country on troops and military equipment.
