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Poland Becomes First NATO Member to Approach 5% of GDP in Defense Spending

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
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Poland Becomes First NATO Member to Approach 5% of GDP in Defense Spending
K2 tank during the Armed Forces Day parade in Warsaw, Poland on August 15, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

Poland is set to spend roughly $50 billion on defense in 2025, amounting to 4.7% of its gross domestic product (GDP), according to Politico on May 26.

The announcement underscores Poland’s commitment to rapidly strengthening its military in the face of growing concerns over Russian aggression.

“Poland is one of the few NATO countries already planning defense, modernization, and army transformation spending at a level close to 5% of GDP,” Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Of the total, $33,1 billion will come directly from the national budget, with the rest drawn from the Armed Forces Support Fund.

This marks a nearly 40% year-over-year increase from 2024 when Poland allocated about $32.5 billion equivalent to 3.7% of GDP. It’s the highest military budget in Polish history.

Poland now stands as the first NATO member to approach the 5% threshold, positioning itself as a security leader within the alliance.

Germany may be next: in mid-May, German Deputy Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed readiness to raise Berlin’s defense spending to similar levels.

The push for increased military budgets echoes demands from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who urged NATO allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense. Current Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also stressed the need to eliminate “weak links” within the alliance.

Yet despite mounting pressure, eight of NATO’s 32 member states still fall short of the current 2% guideline, a benchmark set at the 2014 Wales Summit. As of now, only five countries—including Poland, Estonia, the U.S., Latvia, and Greece—exceed 3% of GDP in military spending.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States has no intention of leaving NATO, but member states must significantly increase their defense spending—up to 5% of GDP—well above current US levels.

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