Fewer Americans see a need for European allies to increase national defense spending, but Germans are divided between increasing or maintaining budgets spending on national defense? Should Germany
When it comes to defense spending, differences between Americans and Germans also emerge. When asked whether the U.S.’s European allies should increase, decrease or maintain their defense spending, half of Americans say that spending levels should remain the same. This marks a notable shift in view from 2017, when 45% of Americans felt their allies in Europe should dedicate more resources to national defense.
Germans view their country’s defense spending differently. The public is divided on whether to increase or maintain current levels of spending on national defense, with about four-in-ten taking each view. Like in the U.S., views on this issue in Germany have changed since 2017. At that time, about half of Germans were content with their country’s defense spending, while about a third felt it should be increased.
Fewer Americans see a need for European allies to increase national defense  | spending, but Germans are divided between increasing or maintaining budgets  | Germans  | Americans  | Should our European allies  | spending on national defense? Should Germany  | spending on national defense?  | Keep the same Decrease  | Increase  | Keep the same Decrease  | Increase  | 2019  | 2019  | 35%  | 50 %  | 9 %  | 40%  | 15%  | 41 %  | 2018  | 2018  | 43  | 14  | 39  | 46  | 11  | 40  | 13  | 2017  | 32  | 51  | 2017  | 45  | 37  | 9  | Note: Don it know responses not shown.  | Source: Pew Research Center survey conducted in the U.S. Sept. 17-22, 2019. Q3. German results from Korber-stiftung survey conducted  | Sept. 9-28, 2019  | "Americans and Germans Differ in Their Views of Each Other and the World"  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 