The Czech government has officially fulfilled its commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defense, in line with NATO’s minimum target. This was reported by the Czech Ministry of Defense.
Out of 32 NATO members, at least 24 have reached the 2% spending target, a significant increase compared to just six members in 2021.
In 2024, the Czech Ministry of Defense allocated 166.8 billion Czech korunas (around 6.6 billion euros) for defense spending, which equates to 2.09% of the country’s GDP based on the macroeconomic forecast published in November, fulfilling its promise a year ahead of schedule.
“For the first time in 20 years, the Czech Republic will meet its allied commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense,” wrote Minister of Defense Jana Černochová on her social media page X (formerly Twitter).
Černochová also highlighted new legal guarantees for defense funding.
“At the same time, in the new law on defense funding for the Czech Republic, we have set defense spending in 2023 at a minimum of 2% of GDP. We are giving defense what it should have had long ago,” she said.
The Minister of Defense also insisted that the defense budget should be increased “in the future,” as the 2% of GDP should be seen as “a floor, not a ceiling.” However, the Czech opposition disagrees. Former Minister of Defense Lubomír Metnar does not believe the Ministry’s spending is transparent, particularly in December 2024.
A final review of NATO’s spending is expected in the second quarter of this year, when the alliance will assess both the methodology and official GDP figures. However, Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura confirmed his confidence that the country would meet NATO’s criteria.
“As of now, we can confidently say, and we don’t need to worry that the methodological review will be negative, that the Czech Republic has fulfilled its allied commitments. Defense spending in 2024 exceeded 2% of GDP,” Stanjura said at a press conference on Monday.
