Canada pledges to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035
The Canadian government has set a target to increase defence spending to 5 % of gross domestic product by 2035, up from just over 2 % today. The plan allocates 3.5 % of GDP to core defence items such as fighter jets, Arctic patrol ships and personnel readiness, and 1.5 % to defence‑adjacent sectors including aerospace manufacturing, cybersecurity, AI firms and critical mineral supply chains. Canada met NATO’s 2 % of GDP defence‑spending benchmark in March 2026 and now aims to meet the new NATO 5 % target that member states pledged at the Hague summit, which together with Europe represents a roughly 20 % rise in defence budgets amounting to about US$139 billion.
NATO is shifting to a “NATO 3.0” model that places greater conventional‑defence responsibility on Europe and Canada, while the United States continues to provide strategic nuclear and air‑defence capabilities. Canada’s abundant domestic resources of titanium, niobium and graphite are highlighted as strategic inputs for modern military hardware, and the government plans to boost research and development in advanced materials to support the modernization effort. Discussions at the 2026 Virtual Policy Hackathon and commentary from NATO experts underscore concerns that Canada’s current spending system is inefficient at converting funds into ready, modern capability, prompting calls for reforms as the country repositions its defence posture within the Alliance.
Entities: Barbora Marônková · Canada · Canadian International Council · Canadian government · Miroslav Wlachovský · Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy · NATO · NATO Association of Canada · North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) · Quebec
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] NATO members, including European countries and Canada, increased defence budgets by about 20% in a year, totaling roughly $139 billion. (NATO budget data)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Canada will increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. (Canada's defence policy)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] NATO is moving toward a “NATO 3.0” model that shifts greater conventional‑defence responsibility to Europe and Canada. (NATO strategic documents)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Canada’s current defence spending system is inefficient at converting funds into modern, ready capability. (Policy analysis)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Canada has domestic resources of titanium, niobium and graphite that are strategic for defence applications. (Resource analysis)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Canada met NATO’s 2% of GDP defence spending target in March 2026. (NATO reporting)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Canada plans to invest in advanced materials and defence‑related research and development to support military modernization. (Government policy)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The 5% spending target will allocate 3.5% to core defence and 1.5% to defence‑adjacent investments. (Canadian defence budget plan)