From The Plain Truth archives
In his June 19 Friday Wrap-Up, Bob Barney discussed Germany and Japan rearming roughly 80 years after World War II. His commentary gives readers a historical perspective to pair with the new spending figures. Read Bob Barney’s June 19 7:11 broadcast transcript
German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (left), German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (centre) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (right) at the Bundestag in Berlin on 18 March 2026.Photo by John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images
Summarized by Jennifer Rae Vliet, News Editor of The Plain Truth
Source analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
Germany’s defense budget reached €119.7 billion in 2026, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The institute says Germany became Europe’s largest defense spender in 2025. Its budget increases have helped drive a wider rise in military spending among NATO’s European members.
How fast Germany’s defense budget has grown
Germany allocated €63.5 billion to defense in 2023. Its revised 2026 budget is nearly twice that amount. After adjusting for inflation, IISS estimates that German defense spending rose 20.4% in 2024, 16.5% in 2025, and 23.2% in 2026.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz set out his ambition for Germany’s armed forces in May 2025. He said the Bundeswehr would receive the resources it needed to become Europe’s strongest conventional army.
How Germany changed the European spending picture
NATO’s European members spent an estimated $638 billion on defense in 2026, up from $303 billion in 2020. Germany accounted for 22.1% of the regional total in 2026, compared with 16.5% in 2022.
IISS projects that European NATO defense spending will grow 9.7% in real terms in 2026. With Germany excluded, that figure drops to 6.6%. IISS also says Germany’s near-term increases outpace those planned by France and the United Kingdom.
What Germany’s funding plan could mean by 2030
Germany’s updated financial plan increases defense allocations for 2027 through 2030. Based on official projections, IISS estimates that German defense spending could reach 3.6% of GDP by 2030. That would put Germany above NATO’s 3.5% benchmark five years ahead of the 2035 deadline.
From The Plain Truth archives
In his June 19 Friday Wrap-Up, Bob Barney discussed Germany and Japan rearming roughly 80 years after World War II. His commentary gives readers a historical perspective to pair with the new spending figures. Read Bob Barney’s June 19 7:11 broadcast transcript