India Spent USD 92.1 Billion on Defence in 2025, Ranked Fifth Globally: SIPRI
India remained the world's fifth-largest military spender in 2025, with defence expenditure reaching USD 92.1 billion , according to the latest SIPRI Yearbook 2026 , which also highlighted the May 2025 India-Pakistan military crisis and growing nuclear competition worldwide.
India's military spending rose 8.9 per cent from the previous year, placing it behind only the United States, China, Russia and Germany. SIPRI estimated that India possessed about 190 nuclear warheads as of January 2026, compared with Pakistan's estimated stockpile of 170.
The Stockholm-based think tank said India slightly expanded its arsenal in 2025 and continued developing long-range nuclear delivery systems , with increasing focus on capabilities capable of reaching targets across China. However, India's strategic planning remains influenced by its long-standing rivalry with Pakistan.
SIPRI described the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict as an "unusually severe military crisis". It said India attacked Pakistani air and missile bases believed to have nuclear-related roles, while both sides took steps to prevent escalation into a wider war. The report also noted that India and Pakistan openly integrated cyber operations into armed conflict for the first time.
Pakistan continued to develop new delivery systems and accumulate fissile material, suggesting its nuclear arsenal could grow further in the coming decade.
A key finding of the report is that countries are increasingly relying on nuclear weapons as instruments of national power , reversing decades of efforts to reduce their role. SIPRI warned that rising geopolitical tensions and nuclear modernisation programmes are increasing the risks of miscalculation and escalation.
Global military expenditure rose for the 11th consecutive year to a record USD 2.9 trillion in 2025. SIPRI also identified India among the world's largest arms importers between 2021 and 2025, alongside Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan.