Taiwan to Boost Defense Budget by 3.32% of GDP

Taiwan‘s Defense Budget Increases by ​22.9% to $949.5 Billion USD
Chase Ching ⁤De, President of Taiwan, announced a 3.32% increase to the defense budget ⁣to ⁢strengthen self-defense and maintain regional peace. The fiscal year‍ 2026 budget will be $949.5 billion ‌Taiwan dollars (approximately $3.1 billion USD), pending legislative approval. This represents a $176.8 billion ‌Taiwan dollar increase, or 22.9% more than last year. The​ Ministry of Defense alone will see a ⁤$93.8 billion Taiwan ‌dollar increase (20.1% increase from 2025). Military investment spending will increase by $23.2 billion Taiwan dollars (16.76% increase) due to weapon ‍purchases from the United States to counter growing threats. Maintenance spending ⁢will also increase significantly by 34.82% to $199 billion Taiwan dollars to cover ammunition and spare ​parts. Personnel costs will remain the largest portion of the Ministry of Defense budget at $200.8 billion Taiwan ⁤dollars. Taiwan’s defense budget has been ‍between‌ 2-2.5% of GDP⁤ for the past nine years,with⁣ the last time exceeding⁣ 3% ​being in 2009 under the Kuomintang administration.This increase is partly in response to demands from⁣ the United States, including President‌ Donald Trump, amidst increasing military pressure from China. [[1]] [[2]] [[3]]