Russian State Duma Approves Record Defense Budget for 2025

The State Duma in Russia has approved a three-year budget that includes a record allocation of 13.5 trillion rubles ($133.63 billion) for national defense in 2025. This accounts for nearly 40% of the total government expenditure, which is a historic 6.31% of Russia’s GDP forecast for the coming year. Notably, this budget does not cover classified spending or the funds designated for the conflict in Ukraine, which are included in separate budget sections such as “national security”.

Defense Spending Exceeds Other Allocations

The combined spending on defense and national security in this budget will surpass the allocations for education, healthcare, social programs, and economic development in 2025. However, the Duma highlighted an increase in social spending in its budget announcement, with a planned raise to 6.9 trillion rubles ($68.3 billion) for social welfare programs, and 6.1 trillion rubles ($60.4 billion) for “technological leadership.”

Reactions to the Budget

The Speaker of the Duma, Viaceslav Volodin, commended the budget, stating that it shows the political and economic systems established by President Vladimir Putin are not only enduring sanctions but also operating effectively. The bill will now go to the Federation Council for approval before being enacted by Putin, who has prioritized defense spending in the government budget.

Future Outlook

Although defense spending is expected to decrease slightly in 2026 and 2027 to 12.8 trillion rubles ($126.7 billion) and 13.1 trillion rubles ($129.7 billion) respectively, it appears that Russia’s economy will continue to focus on defense for the foreseeable future.