Germany misses NATO spending projection ‘due to GDP growth’

Germany spent just 1.13 percent of its economic output on the military in 2017, falling below NATO’s projection of 1.22 percent – itself well below the alliance’s agreed 2-percent target, Reuters said. The lower 2017 figure was mainly due to stronger-than-expected economic growth, which lowered the percentage, according to an analysis by the BDI industry association published on Friday. The new data comes amid continued debate in Germany about the agreement by NATO members to work toward spending 2 percent of GDP on the military. US President Donald Trump has insisted that Germany and other NATO members should sharply increase their military spending.