Defense: Estonia leading in expenditure in the EU
At the bottom Ireland, low rate also in Austria
18 May, 13:22In 2016, government in Estonia spent for defense 2.4 per cent its GDP or about 510 million euro, followed by Greece (2.1%, EUR 3.7 bn), the United Kingdom (2.0%, 47 bn euro) and France (1.8%, 40 bn). The countries that invested less in military spending were Ireland (0.3% of GDP), Luxembourg (0.4%) and Malta and Austria (0.6%).
In 2016, the EU's Member States invested 200 billion euro of public expenditure for defense, 1.3% of GDP, Eurostat noted.
According to Eurostat data, in Central- and Eastern Europe Lithuania, Latvia and Poland invested 1.6% of GDP in defense expenses, while Croatia 1.2%, Bulgaria 1.1%, Slovakia 1.0%, Romania and Slovenia 0.9%, Hungary and the Czech Republic 0,7%, all under the EU average. (ANSA).