Trillions Spent for War—⁠What Is the Real Cost?

The cost of war is enormous.

“Global military spending hits record $2.2 trillion amid multiple wars.”—The Washington Post, February 13, 2024.

The cost includes much more than money. Consider just one example: The war in Ukraine.

Soldiers. By some estimates, almost 500,000 soldiers have been killed or wounded since the war began two years ago.

Civilians. More than 28,000 have died or been injured, according to the United Nations. However, a senior UN official stated: “The full lasting toll of this devastating war on the civilian population is beyond measure.”

The cost in human suffering as a result of war and conflict around the world is immense.

114 million. The number of people displaced by war and violence worldwide as of September 2023.

783 million. The number of people facing chronic hunger. “Conflict is still the biggest driver of hunger, with 70 percent of the world’s hungry people living in areas afflicted by war and viol…