Germany becomes Europe's top defence spender

A €100 billion special fund has pushed Germany ahead of the UK in military expenditure for the first time since the Cold War.

The latest news on Germany. We now know that the country has overtaken the UK as Europe's leading defence spender, driven by an extraordinary €100 billion off-budget fund aimed at modernising its military.

According to SIPRI, Berlin spent €77.8 billion on defence in 2024, positioning itself just behind the US, China and Russia globally. This marks a significant shift in European military dynamics, reflecting broader trends of increased investment across the continent.

While spending has surged, Germany only marginally surpassed NATO's 2% GDP target, highlighting the distance still to go for many allies. For now, it remains to be seen how this financial momentum will shape European security policy.

German military Airbus H145M helicopters and special forces performing a military demonstration at the Berlin ILA Air Show. Germany - April 27, 2018 // Shutterstock

This post is tagged as:

World news Germany