Ireland vs United Kingdom: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $272 in Ireland and $1,283 in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by $1,011, or 4.71 times that in Ireland.
IrelandUnited Kingdom
Watch it change on the mapUS dollars per person · SIPRI
Latest figures
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | $272 2025 | $213 | 53 of 151 |
| United Kingdom | $1,283 2025 | $921 | 15 of 151 |
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 53 and United Kingdom ranked 15 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Ireland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $272 | $1,283 |
| 2024 | $255 | $1,303 |
| 2023 | $246 | $1,075 |
| 2022 | $230 | $943 |
| 2021 | $253 | $966 |
| 2020 | $231 | $867 |
| 2019 | $227 | $845 |
| 2018 | $229 | $839 |
| 2017 | $215 | $787 |
| 2016 | $212 | $812 |
| 2015 | $213 | $921 |
| 2014 | $257 | $1,037 |
| 2013 | $259 | $995 |
| 2012 | $252 | $1,027 |
| 2011 | $285 | $1,052 |
| 2010 | $280 | $1,020 |
| 2009 | $313 | $1,028 |
| 2008 | $356 | $1,180 |
| 2007 | $317 | $1,199 |
| 2006 | $283 | $1,056 |
| 2005 | $279 | $1,021 |
| 2004 | $274 | $1,005 |
| 2003 | $244 | $877 |
| 2002 | $208 | $745 |
| 2001 | $201 | $668 |
| 2000 | $184 | $667 |
| 1999 | $199 | $694 |
| 1998 | $201 | $704 |
| 1997 | $210 | $683 |
| 1996 | $207 | $662 |
| 1995 | $195 | $659 |
| 1994 | $177 | $666 |
| 1993 | $168 | $659 |
| 1992 | $190 | $791 |
| 1991 | $178 | $819 |
| 1990 | $169 | $760 |
| 1989 | $124 | $656 |
| 1988 | $128 | $674 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time