NATO Says Europe, Canada Defense Spending Rose 11% to $634 Billion as Trump Presses 5% Goal
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
NATO Says Europe, Canada Defense Spending Rose 11% to $634 Billion as Trump Presses 5% Goal
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
Summary
$634 billion in core defense spending by Europe and Canada is projected for 2026, up 11% from $571 billion in 2025, NATO said ahead of leaders' summit talks with Donald Trump in Ankara.
The increase comes as Trump pushes allies to accelerate a pledge to reach 5% of GDP in broader security-related spending by 2035.
Five countries — including Poland and the Baltic states — are already meeting that 5% target, while Slovenia trails at 1.61% of GDP in core defense spending.
The 2026 rise still leaves European and Canadian military spending well below U.S. levels and marks a slowdown from the roughly 19% jump recorded from 2024 to 2025.