Belgian defense spending hits highest level in 2 decades

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Belgium's defense spending reached its highest level in 20 years in 2024, accounting for a larger share of total government expenditures than at any point since the early 2000s, data from the National Bank showed Wednesday.

Defense spending totaled nearly €7.95 billion ($9.34 billion) last year, representing 2.4% of total government expenditures. The increase was driven largely by the inclusion of new military equipment, including F-35 fighter jets.

Based on the UN's Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG), defense spending in 2024 represented 1.3% of Belgium's gross domestic product (GDP).

The National Bank noted that NATO and COFOG use different calculation methods. According to both standards, Belgium's defense expenditures reached 1.3% of GDP in 2024.

As a member of NATO, Belgium has pledged to substantially increase its defense budget to 5% of GDP by 2035. Of this, 3.5% is earmarked for core military spending, while the remaining 1.5% will be allocated to related areas such as critical infrastructure.

Despite the rise in defense spending, social protection remained the largest component of government spending, followed by healthcare, economic affairs, and education.