Modern-Aviation

10. Korea, Republic
- Military expenditure (2017): $39.2 billion
- Military expenditure as a % of general government expenditure (2017): 12.1% (#16 among countries)
- Military expenditure per capita (2017): $761 (#13 among countries)
Tensions between South Korea and its northern neighbor shaped much of the Republic's defense policy—and budget since the Korean Peninsula was divided at the end of the Korean War. A significant portion of the budget proposed in 2018 has been earmarked for efforts to increase cooperation between the two countries. President Moon Jae-in and North Korea's Kim Jong Un signed the Panmunjom Declaration after a summit in April last year and committed to halt in hostilities and denuclearization, though that goal remains elusive.

38. Belgium

- Military expenditure (2017): $4.4 billion
- Military expenditure as a % of general government expenditure (2017): 1.7% (#130 among countries)
- Military expenditure per capita (2017): $391 (#24 among countries)
In 2014, Belgium and the other NATO members agreed to stop cutting defense spending and instead work to modernize their militaries. The Belgian government responded by proposing a 2018 plan to purchase $11.3 billion in new equipment and weapons systems in the next decade. However, Belgium has been making huge budget cuts in almost every other sector (including education and the judicial system), leading critics to question why the military should receive such a big boost while other government sectors are tightening their belts.