BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) — Brunei has the second highest per capita defense spending in ASEAN after Singapore, according to the latest statistics published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Based on 2015 data from the global security think tank, the Brunei government spent 1,012 U.S. dollars per person from an overall defense budget of 460 million, representing 8.2 percent of total government spending or 3.7 percent of GDP.

Per capita defense spending in Brunei has grown by 46 percent over the past 10 years, from 692 USD in 2005 to 1,012 USD in 2015, local media reported.

In terms of total defense expenditure in ASEAN, Singapore still came in first, comprising 25 percent of all ASEAN military spending, followed by Indonesia (20 percent) and Thailand (15 percent). Brunei represented just 1 percent of overall defense spending in ASEAN.

According to SIPRI, the Asia-Pacific region is seeing an upward trend in defense expenditure and weapons trade, with the region representing 46 percent of all global arms imports.

The Sweden-based SIPRI is dedicated to research into conflict, arms control and disarmament, and maintains comprehensive data on military expenditure worldwide.