This item caught my eye. From CBS News,
NATO estimates show Poland spent the highest percentage of its GDP on defense and was the only country estimated to spend more than 4%. Estonia and Latvia followed, each allocating around 3.4%.
The United States, by comparison, was estimated to spend 3.2% of its (much larger) GDP on defense.
The context here his Pres. Trump’s efforts to get other NATO members to pull their weight on defense spending, with 5 percent being the target.
What makes the Polish achievement even more remarkable is the huge growth in Poland’s GDP (the denominator) in recent decades. Based on 2023 data, Poland now hosts the world’s 22nd largest economy, not far behind Switzerland.
Back in 1980, Poland did not rank in the top 30. It’s been a steep climb since the end of the Iron Curtain.
