International experiences in supporting national security through defense budget policies

Over the past 10 years, global military spending has risen continuously, reaching USD 2.718 trillion in 2024, the highest level in history. Behind this growth are multiple factors, including the Russia–Ukraine war, competition in the Indo-Pacific, advanced weapons development, and the need for cyber, air, and missile defense1. In such circumstances, the defense budget is no longer merely a financial instrument but has become a foundational tool of national security policy. Some countries tie defense spending to a specific percentage of GDP; others strengthen capabilities through medium-term programs; and still others finance the defense industrial base, reserve systems, and allied coordination simultaneously. This article comparatively analyzes the experiences of selected countries that support their national security through defense budget policy and seeks to identify common lessons. Poland, Japan, Finland, and South Korea were selected for the study. Although their security environments and economic capacities differ, they share the common feature of making the defense budget a central instrument of security policy. In other words, the issue is no longer only “how much to…

Security, defense budget, and budget policy.