Using a Bar Mekko Chart to Show Defense Spending Growth

This charting example from the Bain and Company white paper last year  The Great Eight: Trillion-Dollar Growth Trends to 2020 uses a Marimekko chart, line and bar mekko chart chart to track growth in defense spending from 2010-2020.  Here are the three charts:

The Marimekko chart shows that the USA currently accounts for about half of global defense spending.  The line chart shows that US defense spending is growing as a percentage of GDP.

The bar mekko chart provides the most interesting trend data.  The column heights of the bar mekko chart  indicate the estimated increase in total defense spending, while the column widths indicate the relative current spending level.  The bar mekko chart makes it very clear that the largest growth in defense spending will come from Asia-Pacific with Europe and the USA seeing much slower growth.

This is a great use of a bar mekko chart, tracking growth against size.  I'll follow-up with additional posts to show other uses of a bar mekko chart.