France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Military expenditure

France
59.79 billion current LCU
in 2024
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
63.99 billion current LCU
in 2024
France rank
78th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
77th

Military expenditure over time

  • France
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
020.0B40.0B60.0B196019922024

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 63.99 billion current LCU against 59.79 billion current LCU in France, a difference of 4.20 billion current LCU.

That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.1 times France's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was France ahead.

France ranks 78th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 77th of 167 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, France averaged higher in 5 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade France United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1960s 3.21 billion current LCU 2.24 billion current LCU 972.20 million current LCU France
1970s 7.31 billion current LCU 5.57 billion current LCU 1.74 billion current LCU France
1980s 22.60 billion current LCU 18.49 billion current LCU 4.11 billion current LCU France
1990s 30.63 billion current LCU 25.12 billion current LCU 5.51 billion current LCU France
2000s 35.23 billion current LCU 33.42 billion current LCU 1.81 billion current LCU France
2010s 41.00 billion current LCU 41.15 billion current LCU 150.22 million current LCU United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 52.68 billion current LCU 53.90 billion current LCU 1.22 billion current LCU United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military expenditure, France or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 63.99 billion current LCU against 59.79 billion current LCU in France as of 2024.
What is the difference in military expenditure between France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
4.20 billion current LCU, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for military expenditure?
France ranks 78th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 77th of 167 countries.
Where does this data come from?
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Military expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/military-expenditure-current-lcu/france/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Military expenditure (current LCU)
Unit
current LCU
Source
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
167 places, 8,248 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)