SIPRI: Europe's Military Spending Up 14% to $864 Billion in 2025, Germany Leads Growth
SIPRI reports that global military spending reached $2.89 trillion in 2025, driven largely by a 14% increase in European expenditures to $864 billion. Germany and Spain significantly boosted their defense budgets, while Ukraine ranked seventh in overall spending.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military spending rose to $2.89 trillion in 2025. A key factor in this increase was a 14% rise in European defense expenditures, reaching $864 billion.
29 European NATO members spent $559 billion, with 22 of them allocating at least 2% of their GDP to military spending. Germany increased its spending by 24% to $114 billion, reaching 2.3% of GDP, marking the first time it exceeded 2% since 1990. Spain's military spending rose by 50% to $40.2 billion, surpassing 2% of GDP for the first time since 1994. Ukraine, ranking seventh globally, increased its spending by 20% to $84.1 billion, representing 40% of its GDP.
The UK's military spending decreased by 2% to $89 billion, while France's increased by 1.5% to $68 billion. Jade Giberto Ricard of SIPRI noted that the growth in spending by European NATO members in 2025 is the fastest since 1953, reflecting a pursuit of self-sufficiency and US pressure for burden-sharing. She also warned of the risk of blurring lines between military and other expenditures, which could reduce transparency.