NATO Secretary General presents report for 2022

The conclusions of the 2022 annual report presented yesterday by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg contain a clear call to make further efforts to achieve the two percent target.

On 172 pages, the annual report summarizes NATO's work, including the alliance's support for Ukraine. The Alliance's reactions to the biggest security crisis in Europe since the Second World War are discussed, as is the new strategic concept. The report also includes results of annual public perception surveys of NATO. For the first time, Finland and Sweden were also taken into account.

The Secretary General welcomed that 2022 will be the eighth consecutive year in which defense spending has increased in Europe and Canada. This corresponds to a real increase of 2.2 percent and represents a total increase of 350 billion dollars compared to 2014. “We are moving in the right direction, but we are not moving as quickly as the dangerous world in which we live demands,” he noted. He expects the allies to agree an ambitious new defense investment commitment at the Vilnius summit in July, with at least two percent of GDP to be invested in defense.

Sieben der dreißig NATO-Mitgliedsstaaten erreichten das 2014 deklarierte Ziel: Estland, Griechenland, Lettland, Litauen, Polen, die USA und das Vereinigte Königreich.

In total, NATO countries spent $1.175 trillion on defense, 1.9 percent more than in 2021. With almost $61 billion, Germany missed the target of two percent of gross domestic product.

In einer qualifizierten Betrachtung der Aufstellungen kann festgestellt werden, dass ein Großteil der Ausgaben auf die Personalkosten entfallen. Spitzenreiter ist Portugal, dass 63,06 Prozent des Verteidigungsbudgets in Personal investiert, gefolgt von Italien mit 62 Prozent. Spaniens Personalanteil liegt bei 53,7 Prozent, andere: Deutschland 39,06 Prozent, Frankreich 41,65, die USA 38,84 und das Vereinigte Königreich knapp 31 Prozent. Das Schlusslicht ist Luxemburg mit 24,11 Prozent.

At just over 48 percent, Hungary invested more than any other in equipment and associated research and development costs. 22 member states, including Montenegro and Romania, invest more than 20 percent in equipment, the United Kingdom just 28.06 percent, Spain 26.05 percent, Italy 22.69 percent, France 28.55 percent, Poland 35.92 and the USA 27 .23 percent. Portugal takes last place in this category with 17.93 percent, Germany comes third from last with 19.93 percent.

Germany can once again score points in absolute terms - after the United Kingdom, it is the second strongest European NATO partner with 60.97 billion US dollars, ahead of France with 52.443 billion US dollars and Italy with 30.396 billion US dollars. The discrepancy in the ratio of defense spending to gross domestic product becomes clear from the ratio: Germany generates nine percent of NATO's total gross domestic product, but only contributes five percent to total defense performance.

In addition to the figures, the annual report contains the results of new surveys on public perception of the alliance. Finns and Swedes were also surveyed for the first time. These show that overall support for the NATO alliance, the transatlantic bond and collective defense remain strong. 70 percent of the citizens of NATO member states surveyed voted for their nation to remain in the alliance, and more than 80 percent consider cooperation between North America and Europe in the area of ​​security to be important. 75 percent of respondents believe that defense spending should either be maintained at current levels or increased. An increase compared to 2021: 70 percent. In contrast, there are twelve percent who believe that less should be spent on defense.

Table: Defense spending of the individual NATO member countries

Figures in USD million (Figures for 2022 are estimated.)

Hans Uwe Mergener

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