Hegseth credits Trump with brokering India-Pakistan ‘peace’ at Shangri-La, calls India ‘powerful’
Defence Spending · Asia-Pacific · SIPRI 2025
None of 7 Asia-Pacific nations meets the new 3.5% of GDP defence target
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth set the benchmark at Shangri-La Dialogue, Singapore, 31 May 2026 — challenging allies to sharply increase military budgets
Hegseth target
3.5%
Closest · Singapore
~3.0%
Countries at target
0 / 7
Top abs. spender
India
Filter:
← bars scaled to 3.5% target 3.5% Hegseth target
1
Singapore
~$13 bn · est.
−0.5pp
to target
2
South Korea
$47.8 bn · SIPRI
−0.9pp
to target
3
India
~$86 bn · SIPRI est.
−1.2pp
to target
4
Taiwan ★
$18.2 bn · SIPRI
−1.4pp
to target
5
Australia
~$36 bn · est.
−1.5pp
to target
6
Japan
$62.2 bn · SIPRI
−2.1pp
to target
7
Philippines
~$5 bn · est.
−2.4pp
to target
| # | Country | Spend (USD bn) | % of GDP | Gap to 3.5% | SIPRI Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇮🇳 India | ~$86 bn | ~2.3% | −1.2pp | SIPRI approx. |
| 2 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $62.2 bn | 1.4% | −2.1pp | Confirmed |
| 3 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $47.8 bn | ~2.6% | −0.9pp | SIPRI rounded |
| 4 | 🇦🇺 Australia | ~$36 bn | ~2.0% | −1.5pp | SIPRI approx. |
| 5 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan ★ | $18.2 bn | 2.1% | −1.4pp | Confirmed |
| 6 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | ~$13 bn | ~3.0% | −0.5pp | SIPRI approx. |
| 7 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | ~$5 bn | ~1.1% | −2.4pp | SIPRI approx. |
How far is each country from Hegseth’s 3.5% benchmark? The hatched area shows how much more of GDP each nation would need to allocate to reach the target.
🇸🇬 Singapore
~3.0%
🇰🇷 S. Korea
~2.6%
🇮🇳 India
~2.3%
🇹🇼 Taiwan ★
2.1%
🇦🇺 Australia
~2.0%
🇯🇵 Japan
1.4%
🇵🇭 Philippines
~1.1%
Hatched = additional GDP share needed to reach 3.5% · pp = percentage points
Source: SIPRI, Trends in World Military Expenditure 2025 (published April 2026). Singapore, Philippines, Australia and India % of GDP are SIPRI estimates. South Korea % of GDP is rounded. ★ Taiwan included as reference — not in original brief. Hegseth’s 3.5% target stated at Shangri-La Dialogue, Singapore, 31 May 2026.
