Sweden vs United Kingdom

Sweden vs United Kingdom: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 2.47% of GDP in Sweden and 2.35% of GDP in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sweden, by 0.12 percentage points, or 1.05 times that in United Kingdom.

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% of GDP · SIPRI

Sweden vs United Kingdom: Military spendingMilitary spending in 2025: 2.47% of GDP in Sweden and 2.35% of GDP in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sweden, by 0.12 percentage points, or 1.05 times that in United Kingdom.
SwedenUnited KingdomSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

  • Sweden has been higher since 2025, when it overtook United Kingdom.
  • In 2025, Sweden ranked 38 and United Kingdom ranked 41 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearSwedenUnited Kingdom
20252.472.35
20241.992.44
20231.522.15
20221.342.01
20211.22.04
20201.152.14
20191.11.97
20181.041.93
20171.031.94
20161.061.97
20151.072.04
20141.142.17
20131.122.28
20121.142.41
20111.112.49
20101.192.56
20091.172.64
20081.172.48
20071.32.37
20061.322.36
20051.412.42
20041.432.48
20031.592.54
20021.632.47
20011.72.39
20001.822.35
19991.882.41
19981.92.48
19971.942.54
19962.132.71
19952.152.84
19942.253.38
19932.363.59
19922.443.87
19912.454.12
19902.573.98
19892.514.04
19882.594.21
19872.654.69
19862.595.06
19852.675.32
19842.675.51
19832.745.4
19822.855.38
19812.954.98
19802.925.02
19793.124.68
19783.154.73
19773.14.92
197635.18
19753.085.34
19743.225.07
19733.284.91
19723.415.17
19713.415.08
19703.365.2
19693.465.5
19683.485.94
19673.616.24
19663.866.25
19653.916.44
19643.876.6
19633.976.8
19623.866.94
19613.726.92
19603.787.09
1959–7.29
1958–7.63
1957–7.99
1956–8.56
1955–9.09
1954–10.06
1953–10.96
1952–10.37
1951–8.3
1950–7.21
  • Estimate

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
  • 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

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