Defence Expenditure

HC Deb 12 July 1984 vol 63 cc648-9W

Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent on defence by each of the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in each of the past five years in real terms.

Mr. Stanley

NATO does not publish this information.

Defence expenditures as a percentage of budgetary expenditure and as a percentage of gross domestic product
	Percentage of budgetary expenditure (financial year)	Percentage of GDP (calendar year)
	1979 (or 1979–80)	1980 (or 1980–81)	1981 (or 1981–82)19.	1982 (or 1982–83)	1983 (or 1983–84)	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Country
Belgium	8.8	8.7	8.8	8.3	8.1	3.3	3.3	3.5	3.4	3.4
Canada	9.6	9.3	10.0	10.0	10.2	1.8	1.8	1.8	2.1	2.1
Denmark	7.1	7.3	7.1	6.9	n/a	2.3	2.4	2.5	2.5	2.5
France	17.6	17.6	17.3	18.3	18.6	3.9	4.0	4.2	4.2	4.2
Germany	22.3	22.5	22.4	22.2	22.6	3.3	3.3	3.4	3.4	3.4
Greece	23.9	23.0	23.2	21.8	19.3	6.3	5.7	7.0	7.0	7.1
Italy	6.3	5.7	6.0	5.3	5.1	2.4	2.4	2.5	2.6	2.8
Luxembourg	2.8	3.1	3.2	3.1	3.5	1.0	1.1	1.2	1.3	1.3
Netherlands	10.2	9.9	9.8	9.5	9.3	3.2	3.1	3.2	3.2	3.3
Norway	10.9	10.3	10.3	10.9	11.0	3.1	2.9	2.9	3.0	3.1
Portugal	12.2	11.7	10.3	11.3	10.2	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.4	3.4
Turkey	15.9	18.2	21.8	21.6	21.4	4.3	4.3	4.9	5.2	4.9
United Kingdom	10.7	10.7	10.9	11.2	11.4	4.7	4.9	5.1	5.3	5.2
United States of America	24.0	24.7	26.1	27.1	29.4	5.1	5.5	5.8	6.5	6.9

Notes:

1. The percentages of budgetary expenditure devoted to defence give no more than a rough trend. Comparisons between countries would be misleading since there are marked differences in the role and extent of central budgets. General Government Expenditure figures are used for the United Kingdom.

2. NATO calculates defence expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).

3. That NATO definition of defence expenditure is used throughout; this is different from the United Kingdom national definition.

4. Figures are based on outturn; those for 1983 are provisional.

5. Iceland does not appropriate funds for defence.

6. Spain does not yet report details of defence expenditure to NATO. It is provisionally estimated that in 1983 Spain allocated some 10.5 per cent. of budgetary expenditure and 2 per cent. of GDP to defence.

7. Figures for Danish budgetary expenditure in 1983 are not yet available.