Peacekeeping Budgets and Personnel Soar to New Heights

The world spent 228 times as much on its militaries in 2006 as it did on U.N. peacekeeping operations, according to the latest Vital Signs Update from the Worldwatch Institute. United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world between July 2007 and June 2008 are expected to run to $7 billion—substantially higher than the record $5.6 billion spent in 2006-07. Yet world military budgets stood at a staggering $1,232 billion in 2006.

Read the Vital Signs Update: Peacekeeping.

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