Netherlands vs United Kingdom
Netherlands vs United Kingdom: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 2.2% of GDP in Netherlands and 2.35% of GDP in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 0.16 percentage points, or 1.07 times that in Netherlands.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1956.
- In 2025, Netherlands ranked 48 and United Kingdom ranked 41 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Netherlands | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.2 | 2.35 |
| 2024 | 1.94 | 2.44 |
| 2023 | 1.44 | 2.15 |
| 2022 | 1.3 | 2.01 |
| 2021 | 1.37 | 2.04 |
| 2020 | 1.41 | 2.14 |
| 2019 | 1.29 | 1.97 |
| 2018 | 1.2 | 1.93 |
| 2017 | 1.14 | 1.94 |
| 2016 | 1.14 | 1.97 |
| 2015 | 1.12 | 2.04 |
| 2014 | 1.15 | 2.17 |
| 2013 | 1.16 | 2.28 |
| 2012 | 1.23 | 2.41 |
| 2011 | 1.28 | 2.49 |
| 2010 | 1.32 | 2.56 |
| 2009 | 1.39 | 2.64 |
| 2008 | 1.3 | 2.48 |
| 2007 | 1.35 | 2.37 |
| 2006 | 1.39 | 2.36 |
| 2005 | 1.39 | 2.42 |
| 2004 | 1.42 | 2.48 |
| 2003 | 1.44 | 2.54 |
| 2002 | 1.42 | 2.47 |
| 2001 | 1.44 | 2.39 |
| 2000 | 1.43 | 2.35 |
| 1999 | 1.57 | 2.41 |
| 1998 | 1.56 | 2.48 |
| 1997 | 1.64 | 2.54 |
| 1996 | 1.74 | 2.71 |
| 1995 | 1.77 | 2.84 |
| 1994 | 1.91 | 3.38 |
| 1993 | 2.03 | 3.59 |
| 1992 | 2.21 | 3.87 |
| 1991 | 2.25 | 4.12 |
| 1990 | 2.37 | 3.98 |
| 1989 | 2.52 | 4.04 |
| 1988 | 2.61 | 4.21 |
| 1987 | 2.71 | 4.69 |
| 1986 | 2.73 | 5.06 |
| 1985 | 2.77 | 5.32 |
| 1984 | 2.86 | 5.51 |
| 1983 | 2.85 | 5.4 |
| 1982 | 3.14 | 5.38 |
| 1981 | 2.86 | 4.98 |
| 1980 | 2.78 | 5.02 |
| 1979 | 2.84 | 4.68 |
| 1978 | 2.75 | 4.73 |
| 1977 | 2.95 | 4.92 |
| 1976 | 2.69 | 5.18 |
| 1975 | 2.84 | 5.34 |
| 1974 | 2.65 | 5.07 |
| 1973 | 2.7 | 4.91 |
| 1972 | 2.82 | 5.17 |
| 1971 | 2.84 | 5.08 |
| 1970 | 2.87 | 5.2 |
| 1969 | 3.23 | 5.5 |
| 1968 | 3.26 | 5.94 |
| 1967 | 3.52 | 6.24 |
| 1966 | 3.37 | 6.25 |
| 1965 | 3.57 | 6.44 |
| 1964 | 3.93 | 6.6 |
| 1963 | 4.01 | 6.8 |
| 1962 | 4.12 | 6.94 |
| 1961 | 4.09 | 6.92 |
| 1960 | 3.7 | 7.09 |
| 1959 | 4.02 | 7.29 |
| 1958 | 4.72 | 7.63 |
| 1957 | 5.32 | 7.99 |
| 1956 | 5.79 | 8.56 |
| 1955 | – | 9.09 |
| 1954 | – | 10.06 |
| 1953 | – | 10.96 |
| 1952 | – | 10.37 |
| 1951 | – | 8.3 |
| 1950 | – | 7.21 |
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.
- 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
Netherlands vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancyNetherlands: 82.2 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNetherlands: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNetherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNetherlands: 100% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionNetherlands: 4.03% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateNetherlands: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNetherlands: 18.1 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthNetherlands: 0.81% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNetherlands: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNetherlands: 95.9% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageNetherlands: 41.4 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNetherlands: 20.2% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateNetherlands: 8 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personNetherlands: $51,820 in 2025United Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025
- GDP growthNetherlands: 1.6% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025
- InflationNetherlands: 3% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025
- Government debtNetherlands: 44.7% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsNetherlands: $27B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personNetherlands: $1,582 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNetherlands: 4.8% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNetherlands: 41,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerNetherlands: 0.38% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNetherlands: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNetherlands: 824 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNetherlands: 601 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025