Ireland remains bottom of the class for defence spending in Europe, new figures show
According Is An To European Average Eu, Of The Defence Figures Defence Agency Only The Provision By Eighth The Published Ireland’s Across
Ireland remains stuck at the bottom of the EU table for defence spending, new figures show.
The country allocates about half the amount — calculated as a percentage of national wealth or GDP — as neutral Malta and less than a quarter of the budget of fellow neutral state Austria.
Ireland’s defence provision is only an eighth of the average across the EU, according to figures published by the European Defence Agency.
In its 2023-2024 Defence Data report, the EDA said it witnessed a “sharp increase” in total defence expenditure, rising, on average, by 10% across the 27 member states.
“Over the past two years, the drastic deterioration of Europe’s security situation has led to significant changes in defence priorities across the continent,” it said.
“This critical moment led member states to update national defence plans and adjust defence investments.”
The figures, for 2023, show:
- Ireland is bottom of the table, with 0.2% spend on defence as a percentage of GDP;
- Malta is second lowest, at 0.4%;
- Austria is fourth lowest, at 0.9%;
- Four countries — Portugal, Netherlands, Sweden and Italy — each spend 1.5%;
- The EU average is 1.6%;
- Denmark spends 2% and Finland 2.1%;
- Lithuania spends 2.8%, Latvia 2.9% and Estonia 3%;
- Poland spends the most, at 3.3%
Edward Burke, assistant professor in the History of War since 1945, at UCD, said: “Instead of keeping pace with our relative share of European defence spending — already perilously low — Ireland risks falling further behind.
"This comes at a time when Ireland is facing increasingly sophisticated threats, especially in the maritime and cyber domains, but also when other EU member states expect Ireland, as one of the continent’s wealthiest countries with a reputation for innovation, research and development, to bring 21st-century capabilities to augment EU defence capabilities.
“The problem now is that, even if a future exponentially increases defence spending, there are a glut of global orders for military equipment and Ireland may be a long way at the back of the queue for future deliveries.”
The Government chose to implement the second of three investment options — LOA2 — outlined by the Commission on Defence Forces in 2022.
This will see the defence budget increase from €1.1bn to €1.5bn, in 2022 prices, by 2028.
Department of Defence figures show the defence budget rose to €1.21bn in 2023 and €1.25bn in 2024, with Budget 2025 committing a spend of €1.35bn.
A detailed analysis by the Oireachtas Parliamentary Budget Office, reported in the Irish Examiner last September, found while defence spending had increased, it had risen a lot less than other areas of Government.
It said if Ireland’s defence spend kept at the same rate as a percentage of overall Government expenditure as in 2012, the 2024 budget should be €1.55bn, rather than €1.25bn.
Lieutenant Colonel Conor King, general secretary of the representative group for commissioned officers, Raco, said: “The 2022 Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, which was fully accepted by Government found that Ireland is an outlier in relation to defence funding.
"Since then, the defence budget has gradually increased year on year to the current modest figure of €1.35bn, but Ireland still spends, and appears set to continue to spend, the lowest amount on defence in the entire European Union.
"What do we know that others don’t?”
Professor Raymond Murphy of Irish Centre for Human Rights at Galway University, said the Government’s implementation plan for the Commission on Defence Forces sets out a plan to reach Level of Ambition 2, which was recommended after extensive review and consultations.
“This involved a plan to achieve enhanced capability by building on current capability to address specific priority gaps in Ireland's ability to deal with threats to sovereignty and to serve in higher intensity peace support operations,” he said.
“This should be the priority for the coming years and we should not succumb to any external pressure to spend more just because other EU states are committing to so.”
Prof Murphy added: “The almost universal increase in the level of expenditure on armaments and defence in recent years has not made the world a more secure place. There are much better uses that such money could be put in conflict prevention, such as climate action and humanitarian and development aid.”
In a statement, the Department of Defence said the commitment to increase the budget to €1.5bn by 2028 “represents the largest increase” in defence funding in the history of the State.
“Budget 2025 provided for a record allocation of €1.35bn in defence funding — an increase of €100m compared to Budget 2024," it said.
"The 2025 budget allocation includes the highest ever level of capital funding, at €215m.”
The statement said the funding provided for the recruitment of 400 additional Defence Forces members.
“It will also facilitate significant progress on important defence projects, including military radar, subsea awareness, force protection equipment and Defence Forces infrastructure, as well as allowing the Air Corps to take delivery of a new Airbus C295W transport aircraft,” it said.