NATO defence expenditures - latest

[swerve]

These figures are very interesting, not just the overall totals but the breakdowns. Look at the personnel & equipment figures. I think in some cases, the personnel figures are inflated by generous pensions & dependents benefits from a time when the armed forces were larger, & it might be useful to see comparisons with those elements stripped out. Look at Italy & Belgium.

One should also take into account the presence or otherwise of para-military forces, which can push up manpower spending.

http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2007/p07-141.pdf

Any comments?

 

[kato]

I think in some cases, the personnel figures are inflated by generous pensions & dependents benefits from a time when the armed forces were larger, & it might be useful to see comparisons with those elements stripped out.

Hmm. Germany is given with around 56% personnel expenditure for 2007.

Only have the numbers for 2008, but out of a total budget of 29 billion, 11.2 billion (39%) are designated for personnel cost, and - separately - 4.13 billion (14%) for pensions, widows and similar stuff. This includes the costs respectively for the civilian employees.
Would combine to 53%, so about the right numbers there.

Meaning, there's about a 65/35 split in personnel cost between "active" and pensioned personnel.

Note that this is for an army that used to have between 400,000 and 500,000 soldiers and 150,000+ civilian employees 20 years ago, so there's quite a number of pensioners now.

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As for paramilitary forces, the gendarmerie respectively only figures into the numbers in: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands (not sure about NL even). Oh, and Poland i think too.

 

[gvg]

In the Netherlands the "Koninklijke Marechaussee" is part of the armed forces.

They account for 10% of the total personnel of the armed forces, where in France the Gendarmerie accounts for almost 30% of the armed forces.

I don't know what the percentages are in the other countries you mentioned.