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Armenia’s military spending grew strongly last year from the previous year, according to a new report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday.

Armenia’s total military expenditure stood at $609 million in 2018, up by 33% from 2017, the report said.

The SIPRI has also ranked Armenia among 10 countries with highest military burden, along with Russia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Algeria and Pakistan. The country’s total expenditure made up 4.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

For the first time since 2006 Russia has been dropped out of the world’s top five military spenders, which included the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India and France.

Total world military expenditure rose to $1822 billion in 2018, representing an increase of 2.6 per cent from 2017, according to the report.

The research institute provided no data on the military spending of Azerbaijan and Georgia.