Total world military expenditure rose to $1822 billion in 2018, representing an increase of 2.6 percent from 2017, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The five biggest spenders in 2018 were the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and France, which together accounted for 60 percent of global military spending.

Total global military spending rose for the second consecutive year in 2018, to the highest level since 1988.

World spending is now 76 percent higher than the post-cold war low in 1998. World military spending in 2018 represented 2.1 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) or $239 per person.

According to the Swedish-based institution's report, Turkey was among the top 15 in this period with an expenditure of $ 19 billion.

Turkey, which has increased military spending by 24 percent, has increasingly spent more on rapid delivery of military equipment and has purchased large quantities of weapons.

China followed the United States, which alone accounted for 36 percent of the total amount spent on weapons in the world.

Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, maintained its third place with 67 billion 600 million dollars. India and France followed Saudi Arabia while Russia fell to sixth from the fourth row.

ILKHA