BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7, European NATO members and Canada are expected to increase their defence spending to an estimated 2.53 percent of gross domestic product this year, according to a senior NATO official.
The official told Reuters that European allies and Canada spent an average of 2.31 percent of their GDP on core defence in 2025, with spending projected to rise further in 2026.
Separately, a NATO Defence Industry Forum held ahead of the alliance's summit in Ankara resulted in new defence procurement agreements worth at least $50 billion.
Another NATO official told Reuters that the total value of all agreements is still being calculated and the final figure could be higher.
