In a development with profound implications for global security, the overwhelming economic dominance of the United States within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has come into sharp focus. This disparity is being highlighted amid controversial statements from key officials in the Donald Trump administration, who, following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, suggested that Greenland should become US territory. Greenland is currently an autonomous territory of Denmark, which has expressed no desire to cede it.
The Stark Numbers: US Economic Colossus Overshadows Allies
Data analysis reveals a dramatic economic reversal within the NATO alliance over the past decade. In 2025, the annual economic output of the United States exceeded the total combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of all other 31 NATO member nations. This marks a complete flip from the situation in 2014, when the collective GDP of NATO members excluding the US was $20.5 trillion, compared to America's $17.6 trillion.
Since then, the US economy has not only caught up but now surpasses its allies' combined output by more than 13%. In concrete terms, the US added approximately $13 trillion to its GDP in just over ten years. Meanwhile, the rest of the NATO bloc together managed to grow their collective economy by only about $6 trillion in the same period.
This shift is attributed to the US maintaining robust economic growth despite its large size, while major European economies within NATO, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, have faced periods of stagnation. The prosperity gap is further illustrated in per capita terms, where the average US citizen is estimated to be twice as prosperous as the average citizen from the other NATO countries.
Military Spending and Alliance Cohesion Under Strain
The economic supremacy directly translates into unmatched military capability. The United States not only spends more on defence in absolute terms but also allocates a significantly higher percentage of its GDP to defence compared to its European partners. This results in vastly higher defence expenditures per American citizen.
The only metric where the US does not outmatch the rest of NATO combined is in the number of active military personnel. However, even here, the US alone contributes nearly 40% of all personnel in the 32-nation alliance. This lopsided distribution of economic and military weight creates inherent tensions within the cooperative framework of NATO.
Most security analysts concur that a hypothetical forcible US takeover of Greenland—a Danish territory—would fundamentally rupture the alliance. Such an act against a fellow member state, Denmark, would violate the core principles of collective defence and mutual respect that NATO is built upon, likely leading to its breakdown.
Geopolitical Leverage and the Future of NATO
The original three goals of NATO, established in 1949, were to deter Soviet expansionism, prevent the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe via a strong North American presence, and encourage European political integration. The alliance's collective strength is widely credited with helping prevent a third world war.
However, the current economic data underscores a story of widening disparity. This imbalance provides the US with significant leverage, which the Trump administration appears willing to exploit. The public musings about Greenland, while extreme, exemplify how economic and military preponderance can translate into geopolitical pressure, testing the resilience of long-standing multilateral partnerships.
The situation presents a critical juncture for NATO. The alliance's continued effectiveness may depend on how it navigates the challenges posed by the overwhelming dominance of its most powerful member, while ensuring the security and sovereignty of all its constituent nations remain inviolable.
