Spain allocated in 2025 a total of 39,476 million euros to military spending, equivalent to 2.42% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to calculations presented by the Delàs Center for Peace Studies.
The figure represents an increase of more than 50% compared to the previous year and places the country in 15th place among the states that dedicate the most resources to defense globally.
The report maintains that the growth of Spanish military spending has accelerated significantly in a single year, going from 0.84% of GDP in 2024 to widely exceeding the 2% threshold committed to NATO.
An increase driven by extraordinary credits
According to the Delàs Centre, the calculation starts from the final settlement of the Ministry of Defense's budget, including both ordinary items and extraordinary transfers approved during the year.
The extended budget of the Ministry of Defense amounted to 14.454 billion euros, inherited from previous years, but during 2025, 8.587 billion in extraordinary credits were added.
Added to this are other items distributed across different ministries and programs linked to security, technology, industry, or military research, which, according to the organization, considerably increases the real figure of spending allocated to defense.
Criticism for the impact on other ministries
The Delàs Centre has warned that the increase in military spending could have direct consequences on other budgetary areas.
The researcher specialized in military spending, Pere Ortega, assured that the budgetary reinforcement in defense translates into "cuts in other ministries", potentially affecting social policies and public services.
According to Ortega, the Executive would have resorted to a redistribution of budgetary remainders from other departments to reinforce the Defense area, a practice he defined as "creative accounting".
Debate on defense and social welfare
The organization questions that the increase in spending responds exclusively to strategic or European security needs. From the Centre Delàs, they consider that Europe is moving towards a logic of "war economy", driven by geopolitical uncertainty and pressure to increase military capabilities.
The report's authors maintain that this change in budgetary priorities could affect social welfare and the capacity for public investment in essential sectors.
Controversy over military relations with Israel
During the presentation of the report, criticisms also arose related to military trade relations between Spain and Israel.
Representatives of the campaign Prou comerç d'armes amb Israel denounced that operations linked to the transit or acquisition of Israeli military material continue to exist despite government announcements about restrictions.
The campaign spokesperson, Alys Samson, criticized that some ships with military cargo continue to use Spanish ports and demanded a stricter application of any embargo measures.