NATO predicts that total defense spending of member countries will reach approximately $1.81 trillion in 2026. This figure points to an increase of about 11 percent compared to the previous year.
According to data released on Tuesday, the projected defense spending for 2026 stands at $1.809 trillion. In 2025, $1.630 trillion was spent, and in 2024, $1.483 trillion.
The U.S. continues to be the largest contributor, alone accounting for about 57 percent of NATO's total defense budget with spending of $1.033 trillion.
Germany ranks second with $147 billion, followed by the United Kingdom with $110 billion, France with $80 billion, Italy with $57 billion, Poland with $53 billion, Canada with $52 billion, and Turkey with $48 billion.
In terms of defense spending as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), Lithuania tops the list with 5.33 percent. Estonia stands out with 5.10 percent, Latvia with 4.92 percent, Poland with 4.68 percent, and Greece with 3.65 percent. Turkey's defense spending is expected to be 2.85 percent of its GDP.
The data indicates that in 2026, 17 NATO members will meet the target of allocating 1.5 percent of their GDP to defense and security-related investments.
At the 2025 The Hague Summit, NATO leaders had agreed that by 2035, 3.5 percent of GDP would be allocated to core defense spending, and 1.5 percent to security and defense investments such as civil preparedness, innovation, critical infrastructure protection, and defense industry support.
Meanwhile, Turkey's capital Ankara is hosting the 36th NATO Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. The summit kicked off with a defense industry forum focused on transatlantic production and related investments.
