Rabat – Morocco’s military spending increased by 2.6% in 2024, reaching $5.5 billion.
This rise can largely be attributed to a boost in the personnel budget for the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and comes as part of the broader global trend, where military expenditures saw a striking 9.4% jump compared to the previous year.
According to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military spending reached nearly $2.7 trillion, its highest increase since the Cold War era. The surge is largely driven by ongoing conflicts around the world.
Last year marked the tenth consecutive year of growth in military spending worldwide. This includes all public spending on armed forces and military activities, with arms procurement being just one component. Notably, the report notes that defense budgets have been rising sharply in Europe and the Middle East as well.
North African military spending reached $30.2 billion in 2024, up by 8.8 per cent from 2023 and by 43% from 2015. Algeria and Morocco accounted for 90% of the subregional total.
Morocco and Algeria: A Comparative Look at Military Spending
Morocco’s 2.6% rise in military spending in 2024 stands in stark contrast to its eastern neighbor, Algeria, which has taken a far more aggressive approach in bolstering its military budget.
While Morocco’s increase reflects a strategic shift toward strengthening its armed forces with a focus on personnel, Algeria’s military spending, funded by its lucrative oil and gas revenues, has skyrocketed by 12% this year, reaching $21.8 billion.
This significant rise raises questions about the sustainability of Algeria’s defense priorities, which appear to be driven more by political motives than by a comprehensive security strategy.
Algeria’s military budget is the largest in Africa, and it consumes a disproportionate share of the country’s public spending, about 21%.
This puts Algeria in a position where the defense sector dwarfs other critical areas, such as social services and infrastructure. In comparison, Morocco’s more balanced and cautious approach notes a preference for pragmatic growth, investing not only in military equipment but also in the training and preparation of its personnel.
Broader African Context
The report comes as military spending continues to experience steady growth across Africa. The continent’s total military expenditure reached $52.1 billion in 2024, a 3% rise from the previous year and an 11% increase since 2015.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have seen sharp increases in their defense budgets following political shifts.
These countries have notably ended military cooperation with France and reallocated resources to bolster their armed forces. Mali’s military spending rose by 38% from 2020 to 2024, Burkina Faso’s surged by 108% between 2021 and 2024, and Niger’s grew by 56% over the same period.
This rising trend in military spending across Africa signals heightened security concerns and the shifting priorities of national defense strategies, a pattern that shows no sign of slowing down in the coming years.
