Dutch Defense spending for the first time since the 1990s above 2 percent of GDP

For the first time since the nineties, Dutch defense spending was again slightly above 2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the past year. The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reports this on Wednesday based on NATO figures. Of the 32 NATO members, the Netherlands is now in seventh place when it comes to defense expenditure per inhabitant: in 2024 that was around 1.1 thousand euros per inhabitant.

The United States leads the list of 2.6 thousand euros per inhabitant. Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom are in places two to six.

If the figures are corrected for purchasing power, the distribution looks very different, although the United States continues to lead the list. « For example, to pay the wages of soldiers and to make local expenses, you need less money in Romania than in the Netherlands, » writes the CBS. With a purchasing power correction, Poland rises considerably to third place.

19.9 billion

In 2024, the Netherlands spent a total of 19.9 billion euros on Defense, according to the NATO figures. In 2014, the NATO standard determined At 2 percent of GDP, but the Netherlands did not meet that for years. Other NATO countries spent a higher percentage of their GDP on Defense last year: Poland is at the top of 4.1 percent, the US and Estonia are in second place with 3.4 percent.

All NATO countries together spent 1,362 billion euros in Defense, with the US contribution highest: around 894 billion euros.

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