Worldwide spending for military rises
December 31, 1980
Washington
Worldwide military spending totaled $480 billion in 1978 and is continuing to rise, the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency said. This BRings the total spent on the military since World War II to nearly $10,000 billion, it added. According to CIA estimates, the Soviet Union spent $154 billion on its military in 1978, while the United States spent $108.4 billion. But the percentage of worlwide income (gross national product) spent on the military fell from 5.7 percent to 5.4 percent, the lowest figure in 15 years, the study said. This was because spending on health and education rose faster than military spending.