Thresholds and Forecasts for Defense Expenditures in the Middle East and South Asia

Overall, our analysis in the preceding chapters of the economic causes and consequences of defense spending in the Middle East and South Asia indicates that shifts in resource allocation associated with defense spending may significantly alter overall economic performance. Whether this alteration is positive or negative is subject to wide variation among countries. These variations reflect the underlying economic health of the individual countries and their relative ability to minimize potential adverse effects associated with increased defense burdens.