EU vs Russia Military Spending 2025: $430.4bn vs $158.2bn
In 2025 the 27 members of the European Union spent a combined $430.4bn on defense, 2.7 times Russia's $158.2bn.
Key takeaways
- The EU's 27 members spent $430.4bn on defense in 2025, 2.7 times Russia's $158.2bn.
- The EU total sums all 27 member states' 2025 budgets — not a single joint EU budget.
- Russia spent 7.5% of its GDP on defense in 2025, up 5.9% year-on-year, with 2025 marking its peak spending year to date.
- Russia's military spending grew at an 18.69% compound annual rate over the past five years, versus 7.73% over the past ten.
- The EU accounts for 15.7% of world military spending and Russia for 5.8%, both in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars.
Verdict
In 2025, the EU's 27 members spent $430.4bn on defense versus Russia's $158.2bn — a 2.7:1 ratio, both in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars.
At a glance
| EU total (2025) | $430.4bn27 members, our calculation |
|---|---|
| Russia total (2025) | $158.2bnranks 3rd globally |
| EU vs Russia ratio | 2.7 : 1EU aggregate to Russia |
| Russia % of GDP | 7.5%2025 |
| Russia YoY change | +5.9%2025 vs 2024 |
| EU / Russia share of world total | 15.7% / 5.8%2025 |
In 2025, the 27 members of the European Union spent a combined $430.4bn on defense, 2.7 times Russia's $158.2bn — both figures in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars.
01 EU vs Russia military spending in 2025: the headline numbers
The European Union's 27 member states spent $430.4bn on defense in 2025, equal to 15.7% of world military spending. Russia spent $158.2bn, equal to 5.8% of the same world total, and ranks third among all countries by military expenditure.
| Bloc / country | 2025 spending | Share of world total |
|---|---|---|
| European Union (27 members) | $430.4bn | 15.7% |
| Russia | $158.2bn | 5.8% |
02 How the 2.7:1 ratio breaks down
Dividing the two totals gives a ratio of 2.7 to 1: for every dollar Russia spent on defense in 2025, the EU's 27 members together spent $2.70. That gap is a statement about combined scale, not about either side's capability or intent.
- EU total — $430.4bn, the sum of all 27 current member states' 2025 budgets.
- Russia total — $158.2bn, a single national budget.
- Ratio — 2.7:1, EU aggregate to Russia.
- World share — the EU accounts for 15.7% and Russia for 5.8% of global military spending.
03 Russia's spending as a share of GDP and its growth trajectory
Russia's $158.2bn in 2025 spending equals 7.5% of its GDP. Spending rose 5.9% year-on-year, and 2025 is Russia's peak spending year in the series to date. Over a longer horizon, Russian military spending has grown at a 18.69% compound annual rate over the past five years and 7.73% over the past ten, indicating that the more recent growth has been sharply faster than the longer-run trend.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Share of GDP | 7.5% |
| Year-on-year change | +5.9% |
| 5-year CAGR | 18.69% |
| 10-year CAGR | 7.73% |
04 Why the EU total is a sum, not a single budget
The $430.4bn EU figure is not a single joint defense budget approved by one authority — it is the arithmetic sum of 27 separate national budgets, decided and appropriated independently by sovereign governments. There is no EU-wide military command controlling this total the way Russia's Ministry of Defence controls its national figure.
Sum of all 27 current European Union members for 2025.
Our calculation from SIPRI country-level data. Not SIPRI's own published total.
05 How this compares to NATO defense spending
The EU and NATO are overlapping but distinct groupings — most EU members are also NATO members, but NATO also includes non-EU countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and several EU members are not in NATO. Readers comparing this EU-Russia figure to alliance-wide totals should see the dedicated NATO defense spending page, which covers the full alliance membership rather than the EU subset used here.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much more does the EU spend on defense than Russia?
- The EU's 27 members spent $430.4bn combined in 2025, versus Russia's $158.2bn — a ratio of 2.7 to 1, in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars.
- Is the EU's $430.4bn a single defense budget?
- No — it's the sum of the 27 member states' separate 2025 budgets, decided and appropriated independently by sovereign governments, not a single joint budget controlled by one authority.
- What share of GDP does Russia spend on its military?
- 7.5% of GDP in 2025, with spending up 5.9% year-on-year and 2025 marking Russia's peak spending year to date.
- How fast has Russian military spending grown?
- At a compound annual growth rate of 18.69% over the past five years and 7.73% over the past ten years, showing the recent pace has been much faster than the longer-run trend.
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.