United Kingdom vs United States
United Kingdom vs United States: Arms imports
Arms imports in 2025: 609 million TIV in United Kingdom and 745 million TIV in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 136 million TIV, or 1.22 times that in United Kingdom.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher since 2023, when it overtook United Kingdom.
- In 2025, United Kingdom ranked 16 and United States ranked 13 of 110 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | United Kingdom | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 609 million | 745 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2024 | 486 million | 1.05 billion | 30.6 billion |
| 2023 | 469 million | 891 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | 859 million | 846 million | 33 billion |
| 2021 | 886 million | 922 million | 26.8 billion |
| 2020 | 635 million | 806 million | 23.4 billion |
| 2019 | 402 million | 882 million | 26.9 billion |
| 2018 | 463 million | 379 million | 27.3 billion |
| 2017 | 1 billion | 504 million | 31.2 billion |
| 2016 | 288 million | 447 million | 31.4 billion |
| 2015 | 424 million | 482 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 217 million | 568 million | 27 billion |
| 2013 | 509 million | 767 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | 566 million | 1.14 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 347 million | 937 million | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 461 million | 969 million | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | 381 million | 939 million | 24 billion |
| 2008 | 575 million | 936 million | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 817 million | 842 million | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 375 million | 706 million | 24.4 billion |
| 2005 | 31 million | 582 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2004 | 212 million | 596 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 770 million | 630 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 721 million | 515 million | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | 1.29 billion | 508 million | 18.3 billion |
| 2000 | 937 million | 333 million | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 132 million | 220 million | 25.3 billion |
| 1998 | 770 million | 262 million | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 513 million | 610 million | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 568 million | 601 million | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 496 million | 809 million | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 421 million | 951 million | 22.8 billion |
| 1993 | 796 million | 968 million | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 1.15 billion | 540 million | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 953 million | 515 million | 27.8 billion |
| 1990 | 130 million | 363 million | 28.6 billion |
| 1989 | 209 million | 1.78 billion | 31.7 billion |
| 1988 | 285 million | 1.79 billion | 32.9 billion |
| 1987 | 207 million | 2 billion | 36.2 billion |
| 1986 | 273 million | 424 million | 35.5 billion |
| 1985 | 355 million | 655 million | 33.2 billion |
| 1984 | 682 million | 381 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1983 | 292 million | 463 million | 39.1 billion |
| 1982 | 766 million | 248 million | 41.4 billion |
| 1981 | 812 million | 531 million | 42 billion |
| 1980 | 557 million | 380 million | 37.4 billion |
| 1979 | 232 million | 253 million | 33.3 billion |
| 1978 | 191 million | 369 million | 39.2 billion |
| 1977 | 262 million | 384 million | 37 billion |
| 1976 | 251 million | 499 million | 33 billion |
| 1975 | 337 million | 388 million | 34.2 billion |
| 1974 | 319 million | 586 million | 32.9 billion |
| 1973 | 239 million | 656 million | 32.6 billion |
| 1972 | 222 million | 769 million | 28.7 billion |
| 1971 | 176 million | 578 million | 29.3 billion |
| 1970 | 70 million | 38 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1969 | 2.7 billion | 50 million | 24.7 billion |
| 1968 | 2.35 billion | 62 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1967 | 1.44 billion | 88 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1966 | 242 million | 89 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1965 | 166 million | 170 million | 23.1 billion |
| 1964 | 133 million | 358 million | 24.2 billion |
| 1963 | 159 million | 283 million | 18.1 billion |
| 1962 | 38 million | 236 million | 15.5 billion |
| 1961 | 34 million | 198 million | 15 billion |
| 1960 | 26 million | 181 million | 15.7 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
- Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
United Kingdom vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyUnited Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterUnited Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionUnited Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUnited Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageUnited Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personUnited Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthUnited Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationUnited Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtUnited Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsUnited Kingdom: $88B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelUnited Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerUnited Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersUnited Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms exportsUnited Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025