Fact Check: NATO members aim to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024.

Fact Check: "NATO members aim to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024."

What We Know

The claim that "NATO members aim to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024" is misleading. While it is true that NATO members agreed to a defense spending guideline of 2% of GDP, this target was set for 2025, not 2024. This commitment was reaffirmed during the NATO Summit in 2014 and reiterated in subsequent meetings, including the most recent discussions leading up to the 2025 Hague Summit. According to the Hague Summit Declaration, NATO allies committed to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements by 2035, with a specific allocation of at least 3.5% of GDP for core defense needs and up to 1.5% for other defense-related expenditures.

Moreover, as of 2023, only 11 out of 30 NATO countries were meeting the 2% target, with the overall average defense spending across NATO members being approximately 2.61% of GDP in 2024, as noted by various sources including the World Population Review and CBS News.

Analysis

The assertion that NATO members are aiming for a 2% GDP defense spending target by 2024 lacks accuracy. The original commitment was made during the NATO Wales Summit in 2014, where member states agreed to aim for 2% of GDP by 2025. This timeline is crucial because it reflects the ongoing efforts and challenges faced by member nations in reaching this target.

The Defence Expenditure of NATO Countries report indicates that while there has been an increase in defense spending among member states, the 2% target is not uniformly met, and the commitment is still in the process of being achieved. The Atlantic Council highlights that as of 2023, 23 out of 32 NATO allies were meeting or exceeding the 2% target, but this does not support the claim that all members are aiming for this by 2024.

Furthermore, the credibility of the sources used to support the claim varies. Official NATO documents, such as the Hague Summit Declaration, provide authoritative information regarding commitments made by member states. In contrast, sources like the World Population Review and CBS News offer statistical insights but may lack the direct authority of NATO's own communications.

Conclusion

The claim that "NATO members aim to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024" is False. The correct timeline for this commitment is 2025, as established in prior NATO summits. The ongoing efforts to meet this target are evident, but the assertion that it is aimed for by 2024 is inaccurate and misleading.