The Coalition will have to make swingeing cuts to government programs if it is to implement Tony Abbott's 10-year economic plan promising smaller government but massive new spending for defence, paid parental leave and the private health insurance rebate, economists say.

Unveiled at the Coalition's campaign launch on Sunday, many of the initiatives in the plan were not costed but the commitment to raise defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP within 10 years will cost $35.5 billion in extra outlays alone over the decade to attain, according to the budget expert at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Mark Thomson.

By 2023-24, the annual defence budget would be $50 billion for the year to meet the 2 per cent of GDP goal, he said, compared with $24 billion currently.