EU Military Spending 2026: $451.9bn Total
The 27 current European Union members spent a combined $451.9bn on their militaries in 2026, an estimated 15.6% of world military spending.
Key takeaways
- EU members spent a combined $451.9bn on their militaries in 2026, per our calculation from SIPRI country-level data.
- That total is an estimated 15.6% of world military spending in 2026.
- All 27 of 27 current EU member states are included, with no coverage gaps.
- 2026 is an estimate year, so the underlying national figures are projections, not finalized outturns.
- The EU total is calculated by us from SIPRI data and is not a figure SIPRI itself publishes.
Verdict
EU member states spent a combined $451.9bn in 2026, an estimated 15.6% of world military spending, calculated by summing SIPRI country-level data across all 27 current EU members. This is our own aggregation, not a SIPRI-published total, and 2026 figures should be read as estimates.
At a glance
| Combined EU military spending, 2026 | $451.9bnOur calculation from SIPRI country data |
|---|---|
| Share of world military spending | 15.6%Estimated for 2026 |
| EU members included | 27 of 27No coverage gaps |
| Currency basis | SIPRI constant 2024 USDComparable across years |
| Data year status | Estimate2026 figures are projections |
The 27 current members of the European Union spent a combined $451.9bn on their militaries in 2026, according to our calculation from SIPRI country-level data. That total is an estimated 15.6% of world military spending for the year.
01 EU Military Spending in 2026: The Total
Adding up 2026 defense budgets across all 27 EU member states produces a combined figure of $451.9bn, expressed in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars. Because 2026 is an estimate year for much of the underlying national data, this total should be read as a projection rather than a finalized annual outturn.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Combined EU military spending, 2026 | $451.9bn |
| EU members included | 27 of 27 |
| Share of world military spending | 15.6% |
02 How the $451.9bn Figure Is Calculated
This figure is not a line item published by SIPRI itself. It is our own sum of the individual 2026 military expenditure estimates SIPRI reports for each of the 27 EU member states, with no countries substituted or estimated on our end beyond what SIPRI provides.
Our calculation from SIPRI country-level data. Not SIPRI's own published total.
Sum of all 27 current European Union members for 2026.
03 EU Share of Global Military Spending
The EU's $451.9bn total represents an estimated 15.6% of world military spending in 2026.
| Bloc | 2026 Total | Share of World |
|---|---|---|
| European Union (27 members) | $451.9bn | 15.6% |
04 Which Members Are Included
All 27 current EU member states are included in this total, with no gaps in coverage for 2026.
- Coverage — 27 of 27 current EU members have 2026 data included in the sum.
- Exclusions — none; no member states are missing from this calculation.
- Currency basis — figures are in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars, allowing comparison across years without inflation or exchange-rate distortion.
05 EU Spending vs. NATO Spending
The EU total covers only the bloc's 27 member states, which is a distinct grouping from NATO defense spending, since NATO includes non-EU members such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Turkey, while several EU members are not part of NATO. Readers comparing the two totals should treat them as different denominators rather than directly substitutable figures.
Because 2026 is an estimate year, both the EU total and any NATO comparison drawn from the same year carry the same caveat: the underlying national figures are projections, and later SIPRI updates may revise them.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much did the EU spend on its military in 2026?
- EU members spent a combined $451.9bn in 2026, based on our calculation summing SIPRI country-level data across all 27 current member states.
- What share of world military spending does the EU account for?
- The EU's $451.9bn total is an estimated 15.6% of world military spending in 2026.
- Is the $451.9bn figure published by SIPRI?
- No. It is our calculation from SIPRI country-level data, summed across all 27 EU members — not a total SIPRI publishes itself.
- Are all EU member states included in this total?
- Yes, all 27 of 27 current EU member states are included for 2026, with no missing countries.
defensebudget.org
Defense spending data, sourced from SIPRI
defensebudget.org tracks military expenditure for 160 countries using the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Pages are generated from that dataset and reviewed before publication.