A 3.5% Guideline Would Require Large Increases in Defense Spending for Most NATO Members

Defense spending as a share of GDP, 2024 (estimated)

A chart of NATO defense spending as a share of GDP by country, showing that in 2024 most countries met the 2% guideline but most would need large increase to meet the proposed 3.5% guideline

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*The proposal from the NATO Secretary General as of June 2025 is a 3.5% guideline for core defense spending (comparable to the current 2% guideline) and a 1.5% guideline for defense-related spending, for a total of 5%.

Source: NATO