Poland plans to increase its defense spending to 4.8 percent of gross domestic product next year – the highest figure within NATO. According to the government’s draft budget for 2026, around 200 billion zlotys (around 46 billion euros) have been earmarked for this.
Since the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022 (-> Latest news from the war in Ukraine), Warsaw has massively increased its defense spending. By 2025, the defense budget will already be at the top of NATO with around 4.5 percent of GDP – ahead of Lithuania (4 percent), Latvia (3.7 percent) and Estonia (3.4 percent). In comparison: the USA invests 3.2 percent, the UK 2.4 percent and France and Germany around 2 percent each.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk justified the record sums with clear words: “We will not defend the Polish border with a small deficit, but with a modern, strong army.”
In addition to defense, the budget also provides 25 billion zlotys (around 5.8 billion euros) more for healthcare as well as funds for major projects such as Poland’s first nuclear power plant, a planned “mega airport” and the energy transition. Social programs such as child benefit and the so-called widow’s pension will remain in place.
The total budget amounts to 918.9 billion zlotys (215 billion euros), with expected revenue of 647.2 billion zlotys (152 billion euros). The deficit is expected to be 271.7 billion zlotys (64 billion euros) in 2026 – this corresponds to 6.5 percent of GDP, slightly below the 6.9 percent of 2025, but still well above the EU targets. Warsaw wants to reduce this figure to 2.9 percent by 2028.
The EU has allowed Poland and 14 other countries to exclude defense spending from the stability rules. Economists nevertheless warn of the long-term burdens of the combination of high defense spending, social programs and infrastructure investments.
At the same time, Poland remains one of the EU’s economic growth drivers with an expected growth rate of 3.5 percent.
Here for more news about the Polish armed forces.
