Defense Budgeting in the Netherlands

Abstract

Abstract

Rising geopolitical tensions, particularly Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have renewed attention to defense spending across Europe and prompted a reassessment of collective security within NATO and the European Union. This article analyses the evolution of defense budgeting in the Netherlands over the period 1814–2024, placing recent developments in a long-run fiscal and historical perspective. Using more than two centuries of expenditure data and defense policy documents, it examines how geopolitical shocks, alliance commitments, and domestic fiscal constraints have shaped defense spending.Our findings show that Dutch defense spending follows a recurring cyclical pattern, with periods of retrenchment during low perceived threat and renewed investment following geopolitical shocks. At the same time, the composition of spending remains relatively stable, reflecting institutional constraints and path dependency. The article demonstrates that defense spending is shaped by strategic necessity and by enduring fiscal and institutional structures.