Denmark to increase defence spending earlier than originally planned

The Danish Ministry of Defence (Forsvarsministeriet) has announced measures intended to enable Copenhagen to achieve the 3.5 percent of GDP defence spending target by 2030, five years ahead of schedule.

3.5% by 2030

Already this year, Denmark is set to increase the budget of the Ukraine Fund by nearly DKK 4 billion. In 2027, defence spending is to rise by more than DKK 21 billion. Altogether, from 2026 to 2033, Denmark plans to allocate an additional DKK 260 billion to defence. Here, it is worth noting that in the year preceding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Denmark spent less than 1.5% of its Gross Domestic Product on defence.

“The security policy situation is more serious and complex than it has been for many years, and this requires action from us. If Denmark is to defend itself and fulfil our responsibilities within NATO, we must invest significantly more in the Armed Forces. Therefore, we are now setting aside funds to meet NATO’s 3.5 per cent of GDP target five years earlier than agreed within NATO,” said Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s Minister of Defence.

More countries accelerating defence expenditure, not just Denmark

Denmark’s decision is not an isolated case. Earlier this year, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a similar declaration regarding the need to accelerate defence spending.

Starmer said the UK must move faster in the area of defence spending. He has expressed a desire for the United Kingdom to spend at least 3% of GDP on defence before 2029. Achieving this target by 2029 is expected to require approximately an additional £17 billion in funding.