Brussels: Belgium is currently spending the equivalent of 3.44 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence and related security measures. New government data released today showed that, for the first time, the figures include spending on what is referred to as 'strategic resilience', covering cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, and the protection of critical infrastructure.
According to Emirates News Agency, the announcement comes ahead of the NATO summit scheduled this summer in Ankara, where member states are expected to assess progress in meeting the alliance's new defence spending targets. Belgium's direct military spending currently stands at 2.01 percent of GDP, while an additional 1.43 percent is allocated to strategic resilience expenditure, bringing the total to 3.44 percent.
The data also indicated that the Belgian government is injecting around £4 billion annually into its armed forces. Last year, NATO members agreed, under US pressure, to raise the defence spending target to 5 percent of GDP by 2035, allowing up to 1.5 percent to include non-military and resilience-related expenditures.
Sources noted that Belgium has adopted a cautious interpretation of what qualifies as resilience spending, making it unlikely that NATO would challenge its calculations. These figures follow a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which showed that global military spending reached a new record in 2025 for the eleventh consecutive year.
Belgium recorded the largest increase in defence spending in Europe last year, rising by 59 percent to reach $14.5 billion, moving from 32nd to 28th place globally in military expenditure.