Defence spending: How Nato countries compare

In 2023, 11 Nato countries spent the equivalent of at least 2% of GDP on defence.

Wednesday 10 April 2024 07:16 EDT

The US and UK are among the Nato countries that spend the equivalent of 2% of GDP on defence (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

All members of Nato are signed up to an agreement to spend the equivalent of 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence per year.

In 2023, 11 Nato countries met this pledge, including the UK, the US and Poland.

The latest annual report from Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suggests that in 2024, this number is likely to rise to 18 countries.

Here is a list of how much was estimated to have been spent on defence by Nato countries in 2023 as a proportion of their national GDP, ranked from highest to lowest.

All data comes from the latest Nato annual report.

– Poland 3.92%– United States 3.24%– Greece 3.05%– Estonia 2.89%– Lithuania 2.75%– Finland 2.46%– Latvia 2.37%– UK 2.28%– Hungary 2.07%– Slovakia 2.05%– Denmark 2.00%– France 1.90%– Bulgaria 1.87%– Norway 1.80%– Croatia 1.75%– Albania 1.72%– North Macedonia 1.70%– Germany 1.66%– Netherlands 1.63%– Romania 1.60%– Turkey 1.58%– Montenegro 1.55%– Czech Republic 1.53%– Portugal 1.48%– Italy 1.47%– Slovenia 1.33%– Canada 1.33%– Spain 1.24%– Belgium 1.21%– Luxembourg 1.01%

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

US EditionChange

Thank you for registering

Defence spending: How Nato countries compare

In 2023, 11 Nato countries spent the equivalent of at least 2% of GDP on defence.

Your support helps us to tell the story