NATO nations fall short on military spending
10 of 30 countries fail to meet alliance pledge
BRUSSELS, Belgium – Ten of NATO's 30 member nations fell short of their military spending pledge last year, according to a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
Canada among those failing to meet spending target
The report found that NATO countries spent a total of $1.13 trillion on their militaries in 2022, a slight increase from the previous year.
However, 10 countries failed to meet the alliance's target of spending 2% of their GDP on defense, including Canada.
Canada's military spending has remained below 2% of GDP for more than a decade. In 2022, Canada spent 1.39% of its GDP on defense.
The Government of Canada has committed to increasing its military spending to 2% of GDP by 2026-27. However, the PBO report warns that Canada is not on track to meet this target.
Military spending in the United States
The United States continues to be the world's largest military spender, accounting for more than 38% of global military spending in 2022.
Consequences of failing to meet military spending target
There are several consequences to failing to meet the NATO military spending target.
- Weaker collective defense: NATO's ability to defend its members against threats is weakened when some members fail to meet their spending commitments.
- Increased burden on other members: The countries that do meet the target have to spend more to compensate for those that do not.
- Loss of influence: Countries that fail to meet the target may lose influence within NATO and may be seen as less committed to the alliance.
Conclusion
The PBO report shows that NATO countries are not meeting their military spending commitments, and several are falling short of the target.
This has serious consequences for the alliance's ability to defend its members and for the burden placed on those countries that do meet the target.
Canada is one of the countries that is failing to meet the target, and the PBO report warns that Canada is not on track to meet the target by 2026-27.
The Government of Canada needs to take steps to increase military spending to 2% of GDP, in order to meet its commitment to NATO and to ensure that the alliance remains strong and capable of defending its members.
