Since 2006, NATO members have been expected to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense, and at least 20 percent of their defense spending is supposed to go to equipment. Only the U.S. and seven other nations currently do both.
NATO Defense Spending by Country, —
NATO Defense Spending by Country, Historical Trends
Percentage of Years Meeting Both NATO Defense Spending Criteria
Notes: Figures are estimates for 2019. Iceland is not listed because it has no military. The figure for Bulgaria’s defense spending as well as its share of defense spending on equipment in 2019 is due significantly to its purchase of eight F–16 fighter aircraft for $1.25 billion.
Sources: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Information on Defense Expenditures.
Design and Development: Graphic produced by John W. Fleming and Jay Simon. Data compiled by Rachael Menosky and Daniel Kochis.