ISTANBUL

NATO allies in Europe and Canada increased their defense spending in 2024 by 19.4%, according to the Secretary General Annual Report 2024 released on Thursday.

“In 2024, investments in defence grew significantly across the Alliance. NATO Allies in Europe and Canada invested a total of USD 486 billion in defence, a 19.4% increase in real terms from 2023,” Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote in the foreword of the report.

The report noted that their defense spending increased for the 10th consecutive year, and it amounted to 2% of their combined GDP, which is a guideline met by 22 allies in 2024.

“In recent years, NATO European Allies and Canada have added more than USD 700 billion extra for defence. In doing so, these Allies are taking on greater responsibility for the defence and security of the Euro-Atlantic area. We need to dramatically accelerate these efforts in 2025,” he added.

The report indicated that the US accounted for 53% of the allies’ combined GDP and 64% of combined defense expenditure.

“The Alliance increased its high-readiness forces to 500,000 combat-capable troops operating across all domains—air, land, sea, cyberspace and space—and equipped to respond to any threat, including at short or no notice,” he added.

He noted that with more than 90,000 troops deployed in the High North and Central and Eastern Europe, Steadfast Defender 2024 — NATO’s “largest exercise in decades”—tested their defense plans.

Rutte also stressed that NATO maintained its support for Ukraine with $55 billion in military assistance provided by the allies.

“Looking to the future, NATO Allies are united in their desire for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” he stated.

He noted that Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea grew their “strategic alignment and practical cooperation,” including deploying North Korean troops to Europe.

“This reckless escalation illustrates the linkages between security challenges across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific areas and stresses the importance of working with partners, including in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

Rutte underscored that in recent years, NATO had “sharply refocused” on strengthening its ability to ensure the collective defense of allies in an increasingly “complex world.”

“My priority as Secretary General is to turbocharge this adaptation so that NATO can become even stronger, more agile and ready to credibly deter and defend against all threats to our security,” he added.