EU defence spending hits €418bn in 2025, up 20% year on year

The European Defence Agency's annual Defence Data report shows EU member states collectively spent €418 billion on defence in 2025, a 20% increase on 2024 and equivalent to 2.2% of EU GDP. The figures represent a new record for European defence spending, bringing the bloc closer to US levels, while Russia lags far behind. The report covers all 27 EU member states.