Global military spend tops €1.5trn ... that's €1,500,000,000,000

Global military spending rose in 2015 to nearly €1.5trn, the first increase in several years, driven by conflicts including the battle against Islamic State (IS), the Saudi-led war in Yemen, and fears about Iran.

The study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) also noted that the Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support of Ukrainian separatists also accounted for nudging spending up 1% in real terms, compared to 2014.