Core defence plus broader defence- and security-related investment.
NATO
Donald Trump, NATO and The Hague 5% commitment
The widely quoted percentages explained from the declaration itself: the collective commitment, the two spending categories and the separate decisions still required for Dutch implementation.
Under NATO's agreed definition and capability targets.
Including infrastructure, cyber, civil preparedness, resilience and industry.
The wording
Five percent consists of two categories
Allies committed to annual investment equal to 5% of GDP by 2035. At least 3.5% is for core defence and NATO capability targets; up to 1.5% may cover broader security investment. The Hague declaration (opent externe bron)
Calling the full figure a conventional military budget is incomplete because the wider category can include infrastructure, cyber, resilience and industrial capacity.
Treaty text
Article 5 is collective defence; Article 3 concerns capacity
Article 5 addresses collective assistance after an armed attack. The investment commitment refers to Article 3 for individual and collective capacity. The 2025 declaration reaffirms Article 5 but does not rewrite the North Atlantic Treaty. North Atlantic Treaty (opent externe bron)
National decisions
The declaration is not a Dutch budget act
Allies are to submit annual national plans showing a credible incremental path. Dutch budget acts, enacted legislation and implementation reports then determine the amounts legally authorized and spent in the Netherlands. Netherlands and NATO (opent externe bron)
Built-in review
Trajectory and balance will be reviewed in 2029
The declaration provides an explicit 2029 review in light of the strategic environment and updated capability targets. The route to 2035 therefore includes a formal reassessment.
Four misconceptions
What the commitment does not automatically mean
- That every ally already spent 5% in 2025.
- That all 5% goes only to armed forces.
- That one president enacted a Dutch budget.
- That every announced project counts under NATO definitions.
Check the wording
Treaty, declaration and implementation
North Atlantic Treaty
Articles 3 and 5 ↗The Hague declaration
Full text ↗National context
Netherlands and NATO ↗Frequently asked questions
The NATO commitment without slogans
Did Trump require the Netherlands to spend 5% on defence?
The 5% commitment appears in a joint declaration adopted by NATO allies in The Hague. It is a collective political commitment with annual national plans; Dutch budget legislation determines which spending is legally enacted.
What makes up NATO's 5% commitment?
By 2035, at least 3.5% of GDP is intended for core defence and NATO capability targets. Up to 1.5% may cover broader defence- and security-related investment such as infrastructure, cybersecurity, resilience and industry.
When will The Hague commitment be reviewed?
The declaration says the trajectory and balance will be reviewed in 2029 in light of the strategic environment and updated capability targets.