Last year global military expenditure was $1,747 trillion (US$) - on average, almost $4.8 billion (US$) every day. By way of contrast, an average of more than 24,000 children under the age of five die every day from mainly preventable causes - lack of access to adequate food, clean water and basic medicines. This is one of the prices paid, the collateral damage that is seldom talked about, for maintaining armed forces in a state of combat readiness around the world.

Military spending updates

• Disarm and develop - UN Expert urges win-win proposition for states and peoples, UNOG, 10 September 2014
• More military spending: new rifles for NZ armed forces, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 17 June 2014
• Frigates or Families / Welfare or warfare? Comments on Budget 2014, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 17 May 2014
• Budget 2014: Some comparative facts and figures, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 16 May 2014 - formatted for printing - on Facebook
• UN Expert urges states to be more transparent on military expenditure, UNOG, 16 May 2014
• Children's health or combat capability for frigates? Peace Movement Aotearoa, 2 May 2014
• Welfare or warfare? Peace Movement Aotearoa, 30 April 2014

2014 Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 14 April 2014

• Global Day of Action event details: 'Dollars and sense' forum in Wellington, and leafletting in Auckland - photo album
• Global military spending drops slightly, but not far enough, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 14 April 2014 - formatted for printing - on Facebook - on Scoop - on Yahoo news
• Global military expenditure in 2013 - SIPRI media release - SIPRI fact sheet
• Global Day of Action statement, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, 14 April 2014
• Invest in social spending, cut military expenditure, UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, 11 April 2014
• NZ Budget 2013: Some comparative facts and figures, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 17 May 2013   - document with figures   - graph

If you are interesting in being involved in the Global Day of Action, or would like your organisation listed as a supporter of the Global Day of Action and of the urgent need to change spending priorities away from funding armed forces towards meeting human needs, please contact Peace Movement Aotearoa 'Global Day of Action support' in the subject line of your message.

2013 Global Day of Action on Military Spending: 15 April 2013

• Global Day of Action event details, in Wellington on Monday, 15 April, and in Auckland on Monday, 15 and Tuesday, 16 April - Photo album
• Global military spending falls, but not far enough, Peace Movement Aotearoa, 15 April 2013 - Formatted for printing - On Facebook
• Global military expenditure in 2012 - SIPRI media release - SIPRI fact sheet
• Facebook link: information about the 2013 Global Day of Action in Aotearoa New Zealand is on Facebook here

2012 Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 17 April 2012

2011 Global Day of Action on Military Spending, 12 April 2011