La Italy's military spending is still far from NATO goals. Together with the other members of the Atlantic Alliance, our country has pledged to use for defense 2% of GDP by 2024. To date, we are far behind on the roadmap: according to the latest forecast state budget, in 2021 Italy's military spending stopped at 24,4 billion euros, equal to 1,37% of GDP. Report it in a study by the Observatory on Italian public accounts, emphasizing that – to hit the 2% target – compared to last year we should increase defense appropriations by about 16,5 billion. An enormous figure, but which would be just enough to comply with a parameter on which countries such as the USA, Great Britain and France are already in compliance.
“In the international context, in 2020 Italy placed itself in 102nd place (out of 147 countries considered) for military spending on GDP - reads the study - below all the G7 except Japan, and below the EU median (1,6%) and NATO (1,8%)".
Italy's military spending: the armaments are there…
But the commitments undertaken within NATO are even more specific. Also by 2024, 20% of the expense Italy's military should be concentrated in "investments", ie in armaments (missiles, planes, artillery and so on). On this front, our country has already hit the target, and indeed does even more than the main partners: according to NATO estimates for 2021, Italy spends 28,9% of its defense budget, a slightly smaller share than that of the United States (29,4%), but higher than those of UK (24,3%), France (27,8%) and above all Germany (18,6%).
…But the training is lacking
However, in comparison with other countries - the CPI Observatory points out - we spend "much less on training in the use of armaments". In short, "the weapons are there, but there is not enough training to use them".
Military expenditure: Italy first for personnel costs
The ground on which we do not fear any confrontation is that of personnel expenses (salaries, contributions, pension expenditure). Our 60,5% is unattainable for everyone: the Use they stop at 37,5 and the UK to 32,7%; slightly higher France (42,5%) and Germany (41,7%).
And yet, between 2012 and 2021, the Italian staff decreased by 13.600 units, reaching 162.600. Approximately 2023 units are expected for 161.000, a share still much higher than the target of 150 units set by the Di Paola reform of 2012 (the law n. 244 of 31 December 2012), which delegated the government, among other things, to review the composition of Italy's military expenditure.
international missions
Finally, "the commitment to contribute to international missions is respected thanks to Italy's participation in as many as 9 NATO missions in 2021", concludes the Observatory.
