Sweden vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Military spending as a share of GDP
Sweden
2.5%
in 2025
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.4%
in 2025
Sweden rank
50th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
53rd
Military spending as a share of GDP over time
- Sweden
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 2.5% against 2.4% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
Sweden ranks 50th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 53rd of 166 countries.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sweden | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.8% | 6.5% | 2.7% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1970s | 3.2% | 5.0% | 1.8% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 5.0% | 2.2% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 3.2% | 1.0% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 2.4% | 1.0% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 2.2% | 0.6% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of gdp, Sweden or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Sweden, at 2.5% against 2.4% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of gdp between Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.1%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Sweden ranks 50th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 53rd of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.