Military Expenditure in Italy, 1960-2022

Military Expenditure in Italy, 1960-2022

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TGM StatBox. (2024). Military Expenditure in Italy, 1960-2022. TGM StatBox.
Chart Details
Timeframe: 1960-2023
Country: Italy
Published date: 2024
Note: Military expenditure by World Development Indicators (WDI) refers to the financial resources a country allocates for its armed forces. This includes spending on personnel (salaries, pensions), military equipment, infrastructure, operations, and research and development.
Key Takeaways
Italy's military expenditure showed distinct trends from 1960 to 2022, reflecting its geopolitical and economic context. During the Cold War, spending hovered around 2.6–3.0% of GDP, peaking at 3.0% in 1966 as NATO strengthened its presence in Europe. The decline to 2.1% by 1970 coincided with détente and Italy’s focus on economic recovery. The 1980s saw modest fluctuations, stabilizing at 1.9–2.0%, supported by the country's NATO commitments despite domestic fiscal pressures.

Post-Cold War, Italy's defense spending steadily decreased, reaching 1.4% in 2013 amid austerity measures and shifting priorities towards welfare and economic reforms. However, a modest rebound to 1.7% by 2020 was driven by modernizing military capabilities and addressing new security challenges, such as regional instability and NATO’s increased emphasis on burden-sharing.

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