Defence spending

Press, 1 December 1988, Page 12

Defence spending

Sir, —Can you please tell us what New Zealand, our allies or ex-allies, such as Australia, Britain, and America, spend per capita on defence? Also, if possible, Russia? — Yours, etc., P. HALL. November 2, 1988. [The Minister of Defence, Mr Tizard, replies: “One of the"most reliable sources for ascertaining the defence expenditure of particular countries is the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which is based in Lun-

don and annually publishes a book entitled ‘The Military Balance.’ The most recent edition includes the defence expenditure figures for Australia, Britain, New Zealand, the U.S.S.R. and the United States, reproduced below, along with estimates of population: Australian defence budget for 1987-88, $U55.038; population, 16,642,000; expenditure per capita, SUS3O2. Britain, $U533.76, 56,271,000, SUS6OO. New Zealand, . SUSBO7M, 3,346,000, SUS24I. U.S.S.R., $U532.088, 284,819,000, SUSII3. United States, SUS29BB, 245,320,000, SUSU7B. ’(Source: ‘The Military Balance,’ 19881989: International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Eastern Press, United Kingdom, The figures quoted above should be treated with a measure of caution. For example, there is a disagreement/inconsistency among different countries on which programmes should be included in the definition of defence expenditure. Personnel costs as a percentage of defence expenditure vary greatly between different countries. There is evidence to suggest that in the U.S.S.R. military research and development costs, which are very substantial, are considered to be a charge on the science rather than the defence budget. Many Western experts believe defence expenditure in the U.S.S.R. to be very much higher than is stated officially by the Soviet authorities.”]