Portugal to spend 3.1% of GDP on defence and dual-use infrastructure in 2026, PM says at NATO summit

NATO summit in Ankara

Portugal's prime minister used the NATO summit in the Turkish capital to confirm that the country will allocate the equivalent of 3.1% of its GDP to defence and security-related investments by the end of 2026. The announcement came during the gathering of the 32-nation alliance, which concludes today at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.

We have designed for this year 2026 the reinforcement precisely of that investment, both in the component exclusively dedicated to defence and in the dual-use component, which will mean that, according to our estimate and expectation, at the end of this year the aggregate of these two components will be about 3.1% of our GDP.

Spending breakdown

The 3.1% figure splits into roughly 2.1% of GDP for direct military expenditure and about 1% for dual-use infrastructure. Montenegro cited energy networks, communications and mobility projects as examples of the latter. He noted that the country's Recovery and Resilience Plan also contributes by funding projects that strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure.

NATO's own estimates, published in a report with data up to 3 June, project Portugal's military spending at 2.10% of GDP this year, equivalent to approximately €6.7 billion. That represents an increase of close to €600 million compared with the €6.1 billion spent in 2025.

Trajectory and targets

Portugal reached the alliance's 2% of GDP benchmark for the first time in 2025, recording 2.01% after a 38% jump from the previous year. The €1.6 billion increase from 2024 to 2025 was the largest annual rise in defence spending in a decade. The projected €600 million rise for 2026 marks a slower pace.

We ended 2025 meeting the goal of having defence investment above 2%, which was only possible through an additional effort on our part, following the commitment made at the last summit. We are on a compliance trajectory, which happens for the first time since 2014.

The alliance's updated target, set at the Hague summit, calls for 5% of GDP by 2035 (3.5% for core military capabilities and 1.5% for supporting investments), with a review scheduled for 2029.

Reception and summit agenda

Montenegro said the Portuguese trajectory was praised by the NATO secretary-general during the Ankara meeting. The summit's three main topics are defence investment, boosting industrial production, and support for Ukraine. Portugal's numbers arrive as European allies and Canada are being urged to shoulder more of the conventional defence burden, while US investment in the alliance is receding.