EU military spending as share of GDP by member state 2023| Statista

Many countries in the European Union increased military spending in proportion to their annual economic output (GDP) in the second half of the 2010s, as the geopolitical situation in Europe deteriorated in the aftermath of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and the reemergence of great power conflict between the United States and China. Poland was the country with the highest amount of its GDP spent on military uses, with 3.3 percent being spent in 2023, an increase on the already high amounts in the previous years.

Nine EU member states met the European Defence Agency and NATO target of two percent of GDP spent on their militaries in 2023 - they were: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Greece, Lithuania, Finland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Denmark. On the other hand, most of the large European military powers underspent relative to GDP, with Germany and Italy spending only 1.5 percent of their GDPs. These countries are likely to invest more in their militaries in the coming years, in reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and its aggressive foreign policy towards its European neighbors.

Annual military expenditure as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) in the European Union from 2005 to 2023, by member state

Characteristic	Poland	Estonia	Latvia	Greece	Lithuania	Finland	Hungary	Bulgaria	Denmark	France	Slovakia	Croatia	Cyprus	Germany	Romania	Italy	Netherlands	Portugal	Sweden	Czechia	Slovenia	Belgium	Spain	Austria	Luxembourg	Malta	Ireland
2005	1.9%	1.4%	1.2%	2.49%	1.2%	1.34%	1.4%	-	-	2.4%	1.7%	-	1.98%	1.3%	-	1.8%	1.4%	1.6%	1.4%	1.7%	1.4%	1.1%	1.1%	0.85%	0.6%	0.8%	0.5%
2006	1.8%	1.4%	1.5%	2.49%	1.2%	1.32%	1.1%	2.13%	-	2.4%	1.6%	-	1.9%	1.3%	1.8%	1.7%	1.4%	1.5%	1.3%	1.6%	1.5%	1.1%	1.1%	0.79%	0.6%	0.7%	0.5%
2007	1.8%	1.5%	1.4%	2.48%	1.1%	1.39%	1.3%	2.27%	-	2.3%	1.5%	-	1.68%	1.2%	1.5%	1.3%	1.4%	1.4%	1.3%	1.4%	1.4%	1.1%	1.1%	0.9%	0.6%	0.6%	0.5%
2008	1.6%	1.8%	1.5%	2.56%	1.1%	1.27%	1.2%	2.14%	-	2.3%	1.5%	-	1.58%	1.2%	1.4%	1.4%	1.3%	1.4%	1.1%	1.3%	1.5%	1.2%	1.1%	0.87%	0.4%	0.6%	0.6%
2009	1.7%	1.8%	1.2%	2.54%	1.1%	1.48%	1.1%	1.77%	-	2%	1.5%	-	1.82%	1.5%	1.3%	1.4%	1.4%	1.6%	1.1%	1.5%	1.6%	1.2%	1.1%	0.83%	0.4%	0.7%	0.6%
2010	1.8%	1.7%	1.1%	2.14%	0.9%	1.45%	1%	1.64%	-	2%	1.2%	-	1.87%	1.3%	1.3%	1.3%	1.3%	1.5%	1.1%	1.3%	1.6%	1.1%	1%	0.82%	0.4%	0.7%	0.5%
2011	1.7%	1.7%	1.1%	2.38%	0.8%	1.35%	1%	1.32%	-	1.9%	1.1%	-	1.75%	1.2%	1.3%	1.3%	1.3%	1.5%	1%	1.1%	1.3%	1.1%	0.9%	0.79%	0.4%	0.6%	0.5%
2012	1.7%	1.9%	0.9%	2.27%	0.8%	1.43%	1%	1.34%	-	1.9%	1.1%	-	1.66%	1.2%	1.2%	1.3%	1.2%	1.4%	1.1%	1%	1.2%	1.1%	1.1%	0.78%	0.4%	0.5%	0.5%
2013	1.7%	1.9%	0.9%	2.21%	0.8%	1.41%	0.9%	1.46%	-	1.9%	1%	1.46%	1.6%	1.2%	1.3%	1.3%	1.2%	1.5%	1.1%	1%	1%	1%	0.9%	0.75%	0.4%	0.5%	0.5%
2014	1.8%	2%	0.9%	2.24%	0.9%	1.32%	0.9%	1.32%	-	1.8%	1%	1.4%	1.53%	1.2%	1.3%	1.1%	1.2%	1.4%	1.1%	1%	1%	1%	0.9%	0.75%	0.4%	0.5%	0.5%
2015	2.2%	2%	1%	2.31%	1.1%	1.53%	0.9%	1.26%	-	1.8%	1.1%	1.35%	1.67%	1.2%	1.5%	1.1%	1.1%	1.3%	1%	1%	0.9%	0.9%	0.9%	0.7%	0.4%	0.5%	0.3%
2016	2%	2.1%	1.4%	2.41%	1.5%	1.49%	1%	1.26%	-	1.8%	1.1%	1.21%	1.57%	1.2%	1.4%	1.2%	1.2%	1.3%	1%	1%	1%	0.9%	0.8%	0.77%	0.4%	0.5%	0.3%
2017	1.9%	2%	1.6%	2.38%	1.7%	1.41%	1.2%	1.23%	-	1.8%	1.1%	1.67%	1.72%	1.2%	1.7%	1.2%	1.2%	1.4%	1%	1%	1%	0.9%	0.9%	0.8%	0.5%	0.5%	0.3%