United Kingdom Military Spending
Military expenditure as % of GDP MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS
Overview
United Kingdom's military spending stood at 2.28% in 2025, a decline of +0.00% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 2.28% by 2025. United Kingdom ranked 45th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Military Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 2.36% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 2.32% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 2.28% | - | - |
| 2025 | 2.28% | −0.00% | #45 |
| 2024 | 2.28% | +0.05% | #106 |
| 2023 | 2.23% | +0.17% | #108 |
| 2022 | 2.06% | −0.02% | #109 |
| 2021 | 2.07% | −0.09% | #109 |
| 2020 | 2.16% | +0.18% | #109 |
| 2019 | 1.99% | +0.04% | #108 |
| 2018 | 1.94% | −0.01% | #107 |
| 2017 | 1.95% | −0.03% | #109 |
| 2016 | 1.98% | −0.06% | #108 |
| 2015 | 2.05% | −0.14% | #110 |
| 2014 | 2.18% | −0.11% | #114 |
| 2013 | 2.29% | −0.13% | #117 |
| 2012 | 2.42% | −0.08% | #118 |
| 2011 | 2.50% | −0.07% | #114 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
United Kingdom matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1985. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw military spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
The repeated headlines about US officials questioning NATO's value due to allies' reluctance to support the US-Israeli campaign against Iran could place pressure on key NATO members like the United Kingdom. This development, alongside a volatile global security environment, may prompt the UK to reinforce its commitment to collective defense and burden-sharing, potentially influencing its military spending, which currently stands at 2.28% of GDP.
Frequently Asked Questions
United Kingdom's military spending was 2.28% in 2025. Ranked 45th globally. This represents a 0.1% decrease from the previous year.
United Kingdom's military spending peaked at 7.09% in 1960.
The lowest military spending in United Kingdom was 1.94% in 2018.
United Kingdom ranks 45th globally in military spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
United Kingdom's military spending is projected to reach 2.28% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The military spending of United Kingdom in 2025 was 2.28%. This ranks 45th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_united-kingdom_military-spending,
title = {United Kingdom Military Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/united-kingdom/military-spending},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}