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European Allies and Canada Post Record Defense Spending Increase
NATO's latest figures show core defense expenditure across Europe and Canada jumped nearly 20 percent in 2025, with several allies already exceeding new spending targets.
Published: July 28, 2026
European members of NATO and Canada increased their core defense spending by nearly 20 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to the alliance's latest investment update. The figures mark one of the sharpest year-over-year increases in the trans-Atlantic alliance's recent history and reflect a broader push among member states to boost military readiness.
NATO's data shows that by 2026, five allies are already expected to meet the alliance's 3.5 percent of GDP guideline for core defense spending, while seventeen allies are projected to reach the 1.5 percent guideline for broader defense and security-related investment. Both targets were adopted at the alliance's summit in The Hague, with a deadline originally set for 2035, meaning many countries are now moving well ahead of schedule.
The increases come as NATO members continue to respond to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and to calls from Washington for allies to shoulder more of the burden for their own defense. Canada, which has faced years of criticism for spending below NATO guidelines, has been highlighted alongside European allies as part of the recent surge in investment, coinciding with Ottawa's broader push to deepen security cooperation with European partners.
