Military spending as a share of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Military spending as a share of GDP was 2.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
2.4%
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
53rd
of 166 countries
All-time high
11.0%
in 1953
All-time low
1.9%
in 2018
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1950–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 2.4% for military spending as a share of gdp in 2025.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and up 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 11.0% in 1953 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2018.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 53rd out of 166 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 7.2% | — |
| 1951 | 8.3% | +15.1% |
| 1952 | 10.4% | +25.1% |
| 1953 | 11.0% | +5.7% |
| 1954 | 10.1% | -8.2% |
| 1955 | 9.1% | -9.7% |
| 1956 | 8.6% | -5.8% |
| 1957 | 8.0% | -6.7% |
| 1958 | 7.6% | -4.5% |
| 1959 | 7.3% | -4.4% |
| 1960 | 7.1% | -2.7% |
| 1961 | 6.9% | -2.4% |
| 1962 | 6.9% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 6.8% | -2.1% |
| 1964 | 6.6% | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 6.4% | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 6.2% | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 6.2% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 5.9% | -4.7% |
| 1969 | 5.5% | -7.4% |
| 1970 | 5.2% | -5.5% |
| 1971 | 5.1% | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 5.2% | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | -5.1% |
| 1974 | 5.1% | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 5.3% | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 5.2% | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 4.9% | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 4.7% | -3.9% |
| 1979 | 4.7% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 5.0% | +7.3% |
| 1981 | 5.0% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 5.4% | +8.0% |
| 1983 | 5.4% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 5.5% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 5.3% | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 5.1% | -4.9% |
| 1987 | 4.7% | -7.4% |
| 1988 | 4.2% | -10.1% |
| 1989 | 4.0% | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 4.0% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 4.1% | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 3.9% | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | -7.1% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | -5.8% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | -16.1% |
| 1996 | 2.7% | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 2.5% | -6.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 2.5% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | +8.8% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | +7.0% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | +13.2% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | -3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 8.7% | 7.2% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.5% | 5.5% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.0% | 4.7% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.0% | 4.0% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.4% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.14 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 39,565 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 1.01 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 58,381 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 5.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.7697 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 44,339 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 2.02 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 2.4% in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 11.0% in 1953.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2018.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 53rd out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.