Croatia has unveiled plans to increase its defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and further to 3% by 2030, aligning with wider NATO efforts to enhance military capabilities in response to growing global security concerns.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Defence Minister Ivan Anušić at the opening of the Adriatic Sea Defence & Aerospace Exhibition and Conference held in the capital, Zagreb.
The country currently allocates 2% of its GDP to defence—a NATO benchmark—but is now among the latest European members to commit to further hikes, partly in response to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for allies to take on more of the financial burden of collective defence.
“Croatia is intensively working on the development of its defence industry and strengthening cooperation with our allies,” said Anušić, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
As part of its modernisation efforts, Croatia is negotiating the purchase of 50 Leopard tanks from Germany, expected to arrive in 2028. This acquisition is part of a broader European push to bolster military readiness amid growing uncertainty about the extent of future U.S. defence support.
In parallel, a European climate research institute is reportedly studying how these increases in defence spending could be implemented sustainably, though no further details were provided.
