The Bulgarian government approved a national plan to gradually increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, in line with commitments made at the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague.
Under the framework, Bulgaria will phase in the target, allocating at least 3.5% of GDP to core defense expenditures and up to 1.5% to security-related investments.
Officials said the additional funding is intended to strengthen national defense capabilities and support the modernization and rearmament of the Bulgarian Armed Forces amid heightened geopolitical risks.
The plan expands the scope of eligible spending to include 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 state institutions.
According to the government, combining national funding with European Union initiatives is expected to boost defense industry capacity, encourage technology transfer, and contribute to job creation in related sectors.
Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov reaffirmed the commitment after the NATO summit, noting there are no annual targets and “the important thing is to reach the goal by 2035.” He added that Bulgaria will develop its defense industry and make targeted investments, using both state budget resources and the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument.
Defense spending last year was around 2.13% of GDP, and the government has said the figure will not decrease this year as increases continue in line with NATO commitments.