Poland’s government has earmarked a defense budget for next year equivalent to 4.8% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański, announced the budget on August 28, stating that a record-high 200 billion zlotys (approximately €46.86 billion) will be allocated to defense.
At a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Tusk said that “In terms of the ratio to GDP, it will be one of the highest levels of defense spending in the world.”, “We won’t defend the Polish border with a small deficit.”
According to a NATO estimate, Poland’s defense spending this year is 4.48% of its GDP, making it the only country among the 32 member states to exceed 4%.
As a NATO’s eastern frontline country, Poland has been heavily arming itself since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, purchasing a large number of weapons, including tanks from South Korea. The share of defense spending as a percentage of GDP has more than doubled in four years, from approximately 2.1% in 2021.
Meanwhile, due to the massive defense spending, Poland’s budget deficit is projected to reach 6.9% of its GDP this year and 6.5% next year.
