The military budget will increase in 2027, even though the budget situation is difficult and the deficit needs to be reduced. That's according to Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who spoke to reporters at the "Slivnitsa" training center, where he watched a combat skills demonstration following the final of the "Hawk Eye 26" competition.
According to him, the increase is not only due to the current security situation — it is also a commitment the country has made as part of the coalition.
In early September, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced that defense spending for 2027 is planned at 2.33% of gross domestic product.
The spending increase stems from a commitment made at the NATO summit in The Hague in 2025. At that time, the alliance's member states agreed to gradually raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Of that, at least 3.5% of GDP is to go toward core defense needs, while up to 1.5% of GDP is earmarked for defense- and security-related investments.