All NATO members hit old spending target, only three meet new goal

28/8/2025 6:48

All NATO members will hit a longstanding target of spending 2% of GDP on defence this year but only three currently reach a new, higher goal set by alliance leaders in June, NATO data released on Thursday showed.



Many NATO countries have substantially increased military spending in recent years, following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and demands by U.S. President Donald Trump for European allies to invest more in their own defence.



Estimates from the alliance on Thursday showed that as recently as last year, more than 10 of NATO’s 32 members fell short of the 2% goal, which was agreed in 2014.



Figures for 2025 showed all allies meeting that target, with seven at the minimum of 2.0% and several others only marginally higher.



Poland is the NATO member spending the most on defence as a share of its economy, at 4.48%, followed by Lithuania at 4% and Latvia with 3.73%, according to the data.