The Bulgarian government has approved a national plan to gradually increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, according to the Council of Ministers. The decision was announced on Wednesday and aligns with commitments made at the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague.
Under the framework, Bulgaria is expected to reach the 5% target in stages, with at least 3.5% of GDP allocated to core defense spending and up to 1.5% directed toward security-related investments.
Officials said the increased funding is intended to strengthen national defense capabilities and support the modernization and rearmament of the Bulgarian Armed Forces amid rising geopolitical risks.
The plan also expands the scope of eligible spending to include areas such as civil protection and resilience, cyber defense, innovation, defense infrastructure, industrial capacity, and military mobility. For the first time, these expenditures will be reported in a consolidated format across different state institutions.
According to the government, the combination of national funding and European Union initiatives is expected to boost defense industry capacity, encourage technology transfer, and contribute to job creation in related sectors.
