More Than the Cold War: Canada’s military spending 2007-08

More Than the Cold War: Canada’s military spending 2007-08

Prepared by: Steven Staples and Bill Robinson

Date: September 2007

Key Findings:

• In 2007-08 Canada’s military spending will reach $18.24 billion per year, an increase of 9% over 2006-07.
• Military spending in 2007-08 is 27% higher than before September 11, 2001, and after the next two years of planned increases will be 37% higher than 2000-01.
• In 2007, Canada increased its ranking internationally from 16th to 13th highest military spender in the world. Within the 26-member NATO alliance Canada has moved from 7th to 6th highest military spender, dollar for dollar.
• Canada’s military spending is at its highest level since the Second World War. In adjusted dollars, military spending in 2007-08 surpasses Canada’s Cold War peak in 1952-53 by 2.3%.
• In the period between the invasion of Afghanistan in the fall of 2001 and the end of this fiscal year in March 2008, Canada will have spent $7.2 billion on the full cost of military missions in or related to Afghanistan (or $3.3 billion on incremental costs which exclude salaries, equipment depreciation and attrition, etc.).

Reference:

Staples, Steven, Robinson, Bill. More Than the Cold War: Canada’s military spending 2007-08. Foreign Policy Series Vol. 2, No. 3. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, October 2007.