Spent on war since January 1, 2026

$871,056,486,849

$8.7B per day · $100,957 per second

Projected 2026, based on SIPRI 2024 actuals and a 5-year average growth rate. Actual figures are published annually in late April.

Instead, this money could have…

Cured cancer worldwide53,000,000
Military spending 2026$871.1B
One cancer treatment$60K
See sources

Approximate average per-patient cost of a full first-course cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and follow-up) in a high-income setting, drawn from Lancet Oncology Commission and ACS cost-of-care estimates.

Eradicated malaria globally35
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Eradicated malaria globally$90B
See sources

Total cumulative additional global investment required to eradicate malaria by 2030, per the Lancet Commission's modelled additional funding of roughly USD 90-120 billion on top of current spending.

Ended world hunger96
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Ended world hunger$33B
See sources

Average additional annual public expenditure (approximately USD 33 billion) required from donors and low/middle-income governments through 2030 to end hunger (SDG 2), per Ceres2030 / IFPRI models published in Nature Food.

Clean water for everyone28
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Clean water for everyone$114B
See sources

Annual capital investment of approximately USD 114 billion needed through 2030 to achieve universal safely managed drinking water, per the World Bank's SDG 6 costing study (Hutton & Varughese 2016).

Built schools in poor countries637,000,000
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Built schools in poor countries$5K
See sources

Approximate per-pupil capital cost (construction plus basic equipment) of creating one new school place in a low- or lower-middle-income country, derived from UNESCO GEM Report and GPE infrastructure costings.

Vaccinated every child on Earth335
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Vaccinated every child on Earth$9.5B
See sources

Estimated annual global cost of delivering a full routine childhood immunization schedule to every child (approximately USD 9-10 billion), combining Gavi replenishment figures and WHO IA2030 costing.

Eliminated extreme poverty32
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Eliminated extreme poverty$100B
See sources

Annual income transfer required to lift everyone above the USD 2.15/day international poverty line (the 'poverty gap'), estimated at roughly USD 100 billion per year using World Bank PIP data.

Protected all tropical rainforest71
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Protected all tropical rainforest$45B
See sources

Total cost to place all of Earth's remaining tropical rainforest under durable legal protection. Computed as USD 25 per hectare (Rainforest Trust per-acre averages scaled to a hectare) multiplied by approximately 1.8 billion hectares of remaining tropical forest (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020).

Doubled the world's solar capacity3,184
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Doubled the world's solar capacity$1B
See sources

Approximate capital cost to install one gigawatt (1 GW) of new utility-scale solar PV capacity, per IRENA's Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023 (global weighted-average ~USD 0.8-1.1 billion per GW installed). 1 GW powers roughly 200,000 European homes.

Funded all humanitarian appeals69
Military spending 2026$871.1B
Funded all humanitarian appeals$46.4B
See sources

Total funding requirement of the UN-coordinated Global Humanitarian Appeal for 2024 (USD 46.4 billion to assist roughly 181 million people), as stated by UN OCHA.

Methodology

The counter projects this year's total global military spending based on the latest actual SIPRI figures multiplied by the 5-year average growth rate, then ticks in real time as a fraction of that yearly total based on seconds elapsed since January 1.

Each humanitarian alternative is computed from authoritative sources (WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, Gavi, UN OCHA, UNESCO, IRENA, FAO). Cost units and citations are listed in each category's “see sources” panel.

All data is open and lives in the public repository.