NATO estimates most members will not reach 2% of GDP defence spending target in 2022
Dutch soldier fires a light machine gun during Exercise Griffin 2022. (Photo: NATO)
Although two-thirds of NATO member states will not reach 2% of the GDP in defence spending in 2022, almost 80% of the countries (23 nations) earmarked more than 20% of their defence budgets to equipment and modernisation.
Data recently released by NATO indicates that 20 of its 30 member states will not reach the desired spending benchmark of 2% of GDP on defence in 2022.
Croatia (2.03%), Estonia (2.34%), Greece (3.76%), Latvia (2.10%), Lithuania (2.36%), Poland (2.42%), Slovakia (2%), the UK (2.12%) and the US (3.47%) are the only countries that are expected to achieve the goal this year.
The allocation of 2% of the GDP to defence expenditure was agreed upon by NATO defence ministers in 2006 as a way to ensure the Alliance’s military readiness as well as an indicator of its members' willingness to contribute to common
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