Depends on who you ask and what they include. I'll admit I took that from a Defense reporter today
Nato expects 23 of its 32 members to have met the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence in 2024.
www.bbc.com
The US is a global superpower, with military commitments around the world, not just to Nato. It had GDP equal to all the rest of the members of Nato in 2024, and its spending on defence is
two thirds of the NATO total. So a bad comparison
The 16% includes direct military costs, but not "indirect" costs apparently.
But OK lets go with 16%
Same issue. We're selling to NATO and paying at least some part of it on the backside. Its a fucking shell game by the Con man in Chief who said we were done in Ukraine and campaigned to end the war on Day #1