Europe Defense Spending 2024: $717.5bn Total
Europe's 44 SIPRI-reporting countries spent a combined $717.5bn on defense in 2024, equal to 26.9% of world military spending.
Key takeaways
- Europe spent $717.5bn on defense in 2024 across 44 SIPRI-reporting countries.
- That total equals 26.9% of world military spending in 2024.
- Russia is the region's largest spender at $149.4bn (20.8% of the European total).
- The UK ($89.8bn) and Germany ($86.1bn) rank second and third.
- The top 8 spenders account for roughly 76.8% of Europe's $717.5bn total.
Verdict
Europe spent $717.5bn on defense in 2024, 26.9% of world military spending, with Russia the largest single spender at $149.4bn. This total is our calculation from SIPRI's country-level data for the 44 European countries with a 2024 figure, not a SIPRI-published regional total.
At a glance
| Europe total (2024) | $717.5bnAcross 44 countries |
|---|---|
| Share of world spending | 26.9% |
| Top spender | Russia — $149.4bn20.8% of Europe's total |
| 2nd / 3rd | UK $89.8bn / Germany $86.1bn |
| Countries covered | 44 |
Europe's 44 SIPRI-reporting countries spent a combined $717.5bn on defense in 2024 — equal to 26.9% of world military spending that year. Russia was the region's largest spender at $149.4bn, ahead of the United Kingdom ($89.8bn) and Germany ($86.1bn).
Who this is for: Readers comparing regional defense-spending totals, journalists covering European defense budgets, and policy researchers.
01 Europe's Total 2024 Defense Spending: $717.5bn
Adding up every 2024 military expenditure figure SIPRI reports for a European country produces a regional total of $717.5bn. That sum spans 44 countries, from the continent's largest economies down to its smallest defense budgets, and is expressed throughout in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars.
This $717.5bn figure is our own calculation from SIPRI's country-level data, not a regional total SIPRI itself publishes. See the methodology note below.
02 How Europe Compares to the Rest of the World
Europe's $717.5bn accounts for 26.9% of world military spending in 2024. For a full country-by-country view of global rankings, see the 2024 world rankings.
03 Top Spenders: Russia, UK, Germany and the Rest of the Top 8
Russia is the region's largest single spender, at $149.4bn — 20.8% of Europe's $717.5bn total. The United Kingdom and Germany follow at $89.8bn (12.5%) and $86.1bn (12.0%) respectively. Ukraine ranks fourth at $64.8bn (9.0% of the regional total), ahead of France at $63.6bn (8.9%).
| Rank | Country | 2024 Spending | Share of Europe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | $149.4bn | 20.8% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | $89.8bn | 12.5% |
| 3 | Germany | $86.1bn | 12.0% |
| 4 | Ukraine | $64.8bn | 9.0% |
| 5 | France | $63.6bn | 8.9% |
| 6 | Italy | $37.9bn | 5.3% |
| 7 | Poland | $34.5bn | 4.8% |
| 8 | Spain | $25.2bn | 3.5% |
Together, these eight countries account for roughly 76.8% of Europe's $717.5bn total, with the remaining 36 countries in the dataset making up the balance.
04 Country-by-Country Breakdown of Europe's $717.5bn
- Russia — the region's top spender at $149.4bn, or 20.8% of Europe's $717.5bn total.
- United Kingdom — second at $89.8bn (12.5%).
- Germany — third at $86.1bn (12.0%).
- Ukraine — fourth at $64.8bn (9.0%).
- France — fifth at $63.6bn (8.9%).
Below the top five, spending drops off sharply: Italy ($37.9bn), Poland ($34.5bn) and Spain ($25.2bn) round out the top eight, and the remaining 36 countries in the dataset each contribute smaller shares of the $717.5bn regional total.
05 Data Coverage and Methodology
All figures are drawn from the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, country-level military expenditure data for 2024, expressed in constant 2024 US dollars (data as of 2026-07-07). The $717.5bn regional total is our calculation from SIPRI country-level data. Not SIPRI's own published total.
Sum of the 44 Europe countries SIPRI reports for 2024. Countries without a 2024 figure are excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much did Europe spend on defense in 2024?
- Europe's 44 SIPRI-reporting countries spent a combined $717.5bn on defense in 2024.
- What share of world military spending does Europe account for?
- Europe's $717.5bn represents 26.9% of world military spending in 2024.
- Which European country spent the most on defense in 2024?
- Russia was the largest spender at $149.4bn, 20.8% of Europe's $717.5bn total.
- Does the $717.5bn figure come directly from SIPRI?
- No — it is our calculation summing SIPRI's country-level 2024 figures for the 44 European countries it reports; countries without a 2024 figure are excluded.
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.