United Kingdom vs United States
United Kingdom vs United States: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 2.35% of GDP in United Kingdom and 3.12% of GDP in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 0.76 percentage points, or 1.32 times that in United Kingdom.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher since 1951, when it overtook United Kingdom.
- In 2025, United Kingdom ranked 41 and United States ranked 23 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.35 | 3.12 |
| 2024 | 2.44 | 3.43 |
| 2023 | 2.15 | 3.29 |
| 2022 | 2.01 | 3.3 |
| 2021 | 2.04 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 2.14 | 3.64 |
| 2019 | 1.97 | 3.41 |
| 2018 | 1.93 | 3.3 |
| 2017 | 1.94 | 3.3 |
| 2016 | 1.97 | 3.4 |
| 2015 | 2.04 | 3.46 |
| 2014 | 2.17 | 3.68 |
| 2013 | 2.28 | 4.02 |
| 2012 | 2.41 | 4.46 |
| 2011 | 2.49 | 4.82 |
| 2010 | 2.56 | 4.9 |
| 2009 | 2.64 | 4.88 |
| 2008 | 2.48 | 4.45 |
| 2007 | 2.37 | 4.07 |
| 2006 | 2.36 | 4.04 |
| 2005 | 2.42 | 4.09 |
| 2004 | 2.48 | 4.02 |
| 2003 | 2.54 | 3.83 |
| 2002 | 2.47 | 3.45 |
| 2001 | 2.39 | 3.12 |
| 2000 | 2.35 | 3.11 |
| 1999 | 2.41 | 3.09 |
| 1998 | 2.48 | 3.2 |
| 1997 | 2.54 | 3.41 |
| 1996 | 2.71 | 3.56 |
| 1995 | 2.84 | 3.86 |
| 1994 | 3.38 | 4.22 |
| 1993 | 3.59 | 4.6 |
| 1992 | 3.87 | 4.97 |
| 1991 | 4.12 | 4.88 |
| 1990 | 3.98 | 5.61 |
| 1989 | 4.04 | 5.87 |
| 1988 | 4.21 | 6.07 |
| 1987 | 4.69 | 6.42 |
| 1986 | 5.06 | 6.63 |
| 1985 | 5.32 | 6.45 |
| 1984 | 5.51 | 6.24 |
| 1983 | 5.4 | 6.32 |
| 1982 | 5.38 | 6.81 |
| 1981 | 4.98 | 5.65 |
| 1980 | 5.02 | 5.15 |
| 1979 | 4.68 | 4.95 |
| 1978 | 4.73 | 4.94 |
| 1977 | 4.92 | 5.16 |
| 1976 | 5.18 | 5.19 |
| 1975 | 5.34 | 5.62 |
| 1974 | 5.07 | 5.95 |
| 1973 | 4.91 | 5.89 |
| 1972 | 5.17 | 6.52 |
| 1971 | 5.08 | 6.94 |
| 1970 | 5.2 | 8.03 |
| 1969 | 5.5 | 8.63 |
| 1968 | 5.94 | 9.27 |
| 1967 | 6.24 | 9.42 |
| 1966 | 6.25 | 8.44 |
| 1965 | 6.44 | 7.59 |
| 1964 | 6.6 | 8.05 |
| 1963 | 6.8 | 8.83 |
| 1962 | 6.94 | 9.33 |
| 1961 | 6.92 | 9.16 |
| 1960 | 7.09 | 8.99 |
| 1959 | 7.29 | 9.44 |
| 1958 | 7.63 | 10.07 |
| 1957 | 7.99 | 9.99 |
| 1956 | 8.56 | 9.9 |
| 1955 | 9.09 | 10.16 |
| 1954 | 10.06 | 11.74 |
| 1953 | 10.96 | 13.58 |
| 1952 | 10.37 | 13.86 |
| 1951 | 8.3 | 10.17 |
| 1950 | 7.21 | 5.08 |
| 1949 | – | 5.27 |
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
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 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 importsUnited Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025