NATO report outlines alliance's spending woes

The NATO Secretary General's Annual Report for 2012 finds that while the alliance still accounts for the majority of global defence spending, total spending by allies is falling and becoming more uneven, while emerging powers are seeing growing defence budgets.

The report, released on 31 January, stated that NATO's accumulated defence spending "continues to be the highest in the world" and noted that in 2011 the alliance still represented 60% of global defence spending, but "the trend is steadily downward" from its 69% share in 2003.

"NATO's share remains pre-eminent but may fall to 56% or lower, as early as 2014, if current defence spending patterns among NATO members and other countries worldwide persist," the document said. Defence spending in China, Russia, and Japan is projected to fill NATO's forfeited percentages.

In 2012 only five NATO members spent more than 20% of their defence budgets on major equipment expenditures, which aside from procurement includes research and development spending devoted to key equipment.

Those meeting the 20% benchmark for 2012 were France, Luxemburg, Turkey, the UK, and the United States.