Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
In 2023, general government spending on defense in the European Union reached €227 billion, representing 2.7% of total general government spending. This is equivalent to 1.3% of GDP.
At the European Union level, the share of defense spending in total spending decreased from 3.0% in 1995 to 2.7% in 2023. However, compared to 2021 and 2022, this share increased from 2.4% of total spending in 2021 to 2.5% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023.
These figures are based on general government spending data published by Eurostat, the European Statistical Office in Brussels.
Latvia has the highest government defense spending-to-GDP ratio, while Ireland has the lowest.
In 2023, the highest levels of total defense spending among EU countries were recorded in Latvia (3.1% of GDP), Estonia (2.7% of GDP), Lithuania (2.5% of GDP), Greece (2.2% of GDP), Poland (2.1% of GDP), Cyprus and Hungary (both 1.9% of GDP), as well as France, Denmark, and Sweden (each 1.8% of GDP).
In contrast, government defense spending in Ireland (0.2% of GDP), Malta (0.4% of GDP), Luxembourg, and Austria (both 0.6% of GDP) was relatively low in the EU.