At the Wales Summit 2014, NATO countries agreed to increase defense spending to at least 2% of GDP by 2024. So, in 2022, seven member states have reached this target, while in 2014 only three were leading. Greece ranked (at 3.54% of GDP) ahead of the United States (3.46%), Lithuania (2.47), Poland (2.42), the United Kingdom (2.16), Estonia (2.12) and Latvia (2.07).
Therefore, our country did not meet the 2 percent standard in 2022. Belgium ranks 28th out of 30 NATO countries, with a rate of 1.18 percent. This puts us ahead of only Spain (1.09%) and Luxembourg (0.62%).
According to NATO figures – calculated on the basis of constant prices and exchange rates in 2015 – Belgium spent 5.46 billion euros on defense last year, compared to 4.71 billion euros in 2021. At current prices, Belgian defense expenditures will amount to 6.53 billion euros in 2022, compared to €5.28 billion in 2021. NATO’s figures for 2022 are still estimates.
The STAR plan drawn up by Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder aims for 1.57 percent of GDP in defense spending by 2030. At the NATO summit in Madrid in July last year, Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo reaffirmed the commitment to the 2 percent target.
Stoltenberg said on Tuesday when presenting his annual report that 2 percent should become a floor.
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