This text has been automatically translated, it may contain errors or inaccuracies.
MILITARY EXPENDITURE
Favorite
Remove from my list

Spain has increased military spending to EUR 40 billion and is among the 15 countries that spend the most

In a report presented on Monday by the Centre Delàs, it adds military expenditure to the budget of the Ministry of Defence, such as items for research, operations abroad, industrial items, etc., all of which report an increase to 2.42% of GDP.

(Foto de ARCHIVO)

Imagen del desarrollo de la exhibición militar organizada por la Armada Española y la OTAN en la Playa del Retín, a 28 de marzo de 2025 en Barbate, Cádiz (Andalucía, España). 
En Barbate (Cádiz) se lleva a cabo una exhibición anfibia en el marco del ejercicio Dynamic Mariner-Flotex 25, organizado por la Armada Española y la OTAN. Este ejercicio, que se desarrolla en la playa del Retín, en el Golfo de Cádiz y la costa sur de Andalucía. Tiene como objetivo mejorar la interoperabilidad entre las fuerzas aliadas y reforzar la preparación operativa en escenarios marítimos estratégicos.



Francisco J. Olmo / Europa Press

28/3/2025

Soldiers of the Spanish Army in a stock image.

According to the report presented on Monday by the Centre Delàs d'Estus per la Pau,the military expenditure of Spain  has been39,476 million euros in 2025, above the 33 billion announced by the Spanish Government, with an increase of 35% in one year.

In order to meet the commitment made to NATO to reach 2% of GDP, the Council of Ministers approved a year ago an increase in the budget of the Ministry of Defence of €10,471 million and a total expenditure of €33,123 million, while the settlement made by the Ministry at the end of the year put the final budget at €23,041 million, 1.44% of GDP, after adding extraordinary appropriations to the initial budget extended from 2023.

The Delàs Centre, on the other hand, has raised this number to EUR 39,476 million, with the addition of other costs which it considers to be of a military nature, such as research and development costs, operations abroad, industrial items or related financial costs, which are not normally included in the Defence Budget, but are usually in the budgets of other ministries.

Thus, according to this estimate,in a single year , Spain has increasedfrom 0.88% of GDP to 2.42% of military spending and has been included in the list of the 15 countries in the world that spend the most on the ARMA sector.

During the presentation of thereport, Pere Ortega, a researcher at the Delàs Centre , warned that this spending will lead to cuts in housing, health or education, "affecting the well-being of all citizens."

Military ties with Israel

The report also denounces the "lack of transparency"regarding the participation of Israeli companies in Spanish military programmes. 

The report states that the Decree-Law adopted to halt military relations between Spain and Israel is "ineffective" as the exclusion clause on arms transfers from the A400M transport aircraft, the A330 MRTT flight supply aircraft, the C295 surveillance and patrol aircraft and the SIRTAP tactical drone was applied.

On the other hand, Alys Samson, the representative of the campaign calling for an end to the arms trade with Israel , has denounced that the decree "is not being an effective tool" for the cessation of military relations. He recalled that theMinistry of Defence has not revoked any contract awarded to Israeli companies, including 700 million linked to the SILAM system and 200 million linked to bomb management.

You might like

18:00 - 20:00
LIVE
From  min.

Andueza says EH Bildu has no answer to the priorities of the Basques "despite many marketing campaigns"

PSE-EE Secretary General Eneko Andueza has said that EH Bildu has no response to the priorities and needs of the Basques "despite many marketing campaigns." Moreover, he has accused the sovereign coalition of "doing little despite many diagnoses and plans, because they lack a real country project." Andueza has confirmed that the sovereign coalition is a specialist in increasing problems rather than solving them, as they did with waste management.

18:00 - 20:00
LIVE
From  min.

Pradales has announced a law to alleviate sustainable economic investment in the Basque Country

The lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, has announced that the parties that make up the Basque Government, PNV and PSE-EE, will presentin the coming weeks a proposal for a law on urgent measures to facilitate and alleviate sustainable economic activity. He has recalled that at the last plenary session of the General Policy he committed himself to preparing a quick way to facilitatetheimplementation of strategic investment projects in the Basque Country.

Load more