United Kingdom
Military share of state spending in United Kingdom
Military share of state spending in United Kingdom: 11.3% of government spending in 1988 and 5.4% of government spending in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 5.4% of government spending
- Since 1988
- −5.9 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 69 of 150
- counting from the highest
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 11.3% of government spending in 1988, the lowest 4.3% of government spending in 2020.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.4 |
| 2024 | 5.6 |
| 2023 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | 4.7 |
| 2021 | 4.5 |
| 2020 | 4.3 |
| 2019 | 5.1 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2015 | 5.1 |
| 2014 | 5.3 |
| 2013 | 5.5 |
| 2012 | 5.6 |
| 2011 | 5.7 |
| 2010 | 5.8 |
| 2009 | 5.9 |
| 2008 | 6.1 |
| 2007 | 6.2 |
| 2006 | 6.2 |
| 2005 | 6.3 |
| 2004 | 6.5 |
| 2003 | 6.8 |
| 2002 | 6.9 |
| 2001 | 6.9 |
| 2000 | 7 |
| 1999 | 7.1 |
| 1998 | 7.2 |
| 1997 | 7.3 |
| 1996 | 7.6 |
| 1995 | 7.6 |
| 1994 | 8.3 |
| 1993 | 8.7 |
| 1992 | 9.4 |
| 1991 | 10.5 |
| 1990 | 10.4 |
| 1989 | 11 |
| 1988 | 11.3 |
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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 in numbers
Every measure for United Kingdom on one page
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Military
- Military spending2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$88B in 2025
- Military spending per person$1,283 in 2025
- Armed forces personnel153,000 people in 2020
- National power1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports702 million TIV in 2025