Governments around the world are spending a staggering amount of resources on their military. Global military expenditures have roughly doubled in the past decade to $1.6 trillion in 2010. That is more than ten times what is spent on official development assistance ($141 billion), and it dwarfs the regular budget of the United Nations ($2.7 billion). Less than 4 percent of annual military expenditures would be enough to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, lifting all people out of poverty.