EU military expenditure by function

Annual military expenditure in the European Union from 2001 to 2023, by function (in million euros)

Characteristic	Military defence	Foreign military aid	Defence not classified	R&D Defence	Civil defence
2023	196,494.3	24,680	4,573	4,239.7	1,552.1
2022	182,343.6	13,684.3	4,359.1	4,363.2	1,481
2021	166,997.5	9,113.9	4,103	3,569.4	1,320.6
2020	158,381.3	9,207	4,031.7	3,473.8	1,095.4
2019	150,381.7	8,602.1	4,730.1	3,333.8	889.5
2018	144,786.7	8,392.8	4,714.3	3,221.6	849.1
2017	140,609.5	8,167.6	4,379.1	3,026.9	884.7
2016	137,000.8	8,467.8	4,265.8	3,077.4	849.9
2015	127,465.8	7,626.3	3,589.9	3,130.7	845.3
2014	121,702	7,428.4	3,491.9	2,976.2	863
2013	127,546.2	7,130.9	3,392	3,117.7	914
2012	127,327.5	6,534.8	4,078.2	3,920.7	951.9
2011	129,487.9	6,917.7	3,781.8	4,021	1,065.5
2010	133,705.8	6,843.7	3,990.8	4,268.8	1,322.8
2009	131,148.2	6,301.7	3,514.4	4,400.8	1,211
2008	129,800.6	5,924.3	3,450.6	4,514.7	990.7
2007	121,001.1	5,664.2	3,268.7	4,806.6	1,042.2
2006	120,250.1	4,943.1	2,910.2	4,201.8	1,012
2005	114,480.4	4,353.8	2,830.1	3,993.5	1,027.3
2004	110,382	4,035.7	2,805.3	3,933.6	1,170.1
2003	107,601.7	4,158.4	3,104.9	3,988.8	1,203.4
2002	104,534	4,477.1	3,270.5	3,944.5	1,244.4
2001	101,426.9	4,033	3,357.1	3,991.3	1,285.5

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Release date

March 2026

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Survey time period

2001 to 2023

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Countries in the European Union spent the vast majority of their national defense budgets on military defense, with this being a consistent trend over the entire period from 2001 up to the present period. The second-largest function of defense expenditure was foreign military aid, due to the continuous military support of Ukraine, with 24.7 billion euros in 2023. This amount still falls far below the guideline target from NATO and the European Defense Agency of two percent of GDP annually.