Highest Military Spending in Europe (2025)
Russia is Europe's highest military spender in 2025 at $158.2bn, followed by Germany at $106.7bn and the UK at $88.0bn.
Key takeaways
- Russia is Europe's highest military spender in 2025, at $158.2bn — 19.4% of the region's $816.9bn total.
- Germany ($106.7bn) and the United Kingdom ($88.0bn) rank second and third.
- Europe's top 8 spenders account for 76.1% of the region's $816.9bn total military spending.
- Europe's $816.9bn total represents 29.8% of world military expenditure in 2025.
- The European total is our own calculation from SIPRI country-level data, not a figure SIPRI publishes directly.
Verdict
Russia is Europe's highest military spender in 2025 at $158.2bn, or 19.4% of the region's $816.9bn total. That total is our own calculation summing the 44 European countries SIPRI reports for 2025; countries without a 2025 figure are excluded.
At a glance
| Highest spender | Russia, $158.2bn19.4% of Europe's total |
|---|---|
| Europe total (2025) | $816.9bn44 countries, our calculation |
| Share of world spending | 29.8%of total world military expenditure |
| Second-highest spender | Germany, $106.7bn13.1% of Europe's total |
| Third-highest spender | United Kingdom, $88.0bn10.8% of Europe's total |
Russia is the highest military spender in Europe in 2025, at $158.2bn — 19.4% of the region's $816.9bn total (our calculation from SIPRI country-level data, not a SIPRI-published total). Germany ranks second at $106.7bn, followed by the United Kingdom at $88.0bn.
01 Which country has the highest military spending in Europe?
Russia holds the top spot in 2025 with $158.2bn in military expenditure, equal to 19.4% of Europe's $816.9bn combined total. Germany and the United Kingdom combined ($194.7bn, 23.9% of the region) still spend more than Russia alone, though Russia's $158.2bn outlay exceeds either country individually. No other European country comes close to Russia's outlay on a standalone basis in 2025.
02 Europe's top 8 military spenders in 2025
| Rank | Country | 2025 Spending | Share of Europe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | $158.2bn | 19.4% |
| 2 | Germany | $106.7bn | 13.1% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | $88.0bn | 10.8% |
| 4 | Ukraine | $77.6bn | 9.5% |
| 5 | France | $64.5bn | 7.9% |
| 6 | Italy | $45.4bn | 5.6% |
| 7 | Poland | $42.5bn | 5.2% |
| 8 | Spain | $37.7bn | 4.6% |
Each share figure is that country's spending as a percentage of Europe's $816.9bn regional total for 2025.
03 How Russia's $158.2bn compares to the rest of Europe
Russia's $158.2bn exceeds Germany's $106.7bn — Europe's second-largest spender — by $51.5bn, a gap of roughly 48%.
04 Europe's total military spending and its share of the world
Europe's 44 tracked countries spent a combined $816.9bn on their militaries in 2025 (our calculation from SIPRI country data), equal to 29.8% of total world military expenditure. Russia's $158.2bn alone therefore represents 19.4% of the European total and, by extension, a substantial slice of global spending on its own.
Figures are reported in SIPRI constant 2024 US dollars, which strip out inflation and exchange-rate effects to allow year-on-year and country-to-country comparison.
05 Data coverage and methodology
The $816.9bn European total and the share percentages above are our own calculation, built by summing the 44 individual European country figures SIPRI reports for 2025 — not a total SIPRI itself publishes. Rankings and shares reflect exactly that set of 44 countries. See the 2025 world rankings for how these countries compare globally.
Sum of the 44 Europe countries SIPRI reports for 2025. Countries without a 2025 figure are excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which country has the highest military spending in Europe?
- Russia, at $158.2bn in 2025, equal to 19.4% of Europe's $816.9bn total military expenditure.
- How much does Europe spend on its military in total?
- $816.9bn in 2025, based on our calculation summing the 44 European countries SIPRI reports for that year.
- What share of world military spending does Europe account for?
- 29.8% of total world military expenditure in 2025.
- Which countries rank just behind Russia in European military spending?
- Germany ($106.7bn) and the United Kingdom ($88.0bn) rank second and third, followed by Ukraine ($77.6bn) and France ($64.5bn).
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.