United Kingdom

Military spending in United Kingdom

Military spending in United Kingdom: 7.21% of GDP in 1950 and 2.35% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.

Latest, 2025
2.35% of GDP
Since 1950
−4.86 percentage points
Rank, 2025
41 of 151
counting from the highest
Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Military spending in United KingdomMilitary spending in United Kingdom: 7.21% of GDP in 1950 and 2.35% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. The highest was 10.96% of GDP in 1953, the lowest 1.93% of GDP in 2018.
Estimates, SIPRI

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 10.96% of GDP in 1953, the lowest 1.93% of GDP in 2018.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearUnited Kingdom
20252.35
20242.44
20232.15
20222.01
20212.04
20202.14
20191.97
20181.93
20171.94
20161.97
20152.04
20142.17
20132.28
20122.41
20112.49
20102.56
20092.64
20082.48
20072.37
20062.36
20052.42
20042.48
20032.54
20022.47
20012.39
20002.35
19992.41
19982.48
19972.54
19962.71
19952.84
19943.38
19933.59
19923.87
19914.12
19903.98
19894.04
19884.21
19874.69
19865.06
19855.32
19845.51
19835.4
19825.38
19814.98
19805.02
19794.68
19784.73
19774.92
19765.18
19755.34
19745.07
19734.91
19725.17
19715.08
19705.2
19695.5
19685.94
19676.24
19666.25
19656.44
19646.6
19636.8
19626.94
19616.92
19607.09
19597.29
19587.63
19577.99
19568.56
19559.09
195410.06
195310.96
195210.37
19518.3
19507.21

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

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