India vs United Kingdom: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
India
2.3%
in 2025
United Kingdom
2.4%
in 2025
India rank
55th
United Kingdom rank
53rd
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- India
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 2.4% against 2.3% in India, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United Kingdom ahead.
India ranks 55th and United Kingdom ranks 53rd of 167 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, India averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.2% | 6.5% | 3.3% | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 5.0% | 1.7% | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 3.6% | 5.0% | 1.4% | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 2.8% | 3.2% | 0.4% | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 0.4% | India |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 0.4% | India |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.2% | 0.2% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, India or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 2.4% against 2.3% in India as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between India and United Kingdom?
- 0.1%, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and United Kingdom?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do India and United Kingdom rank globally for military expenditure?
- India ranks 55th and United Kingdom ranks 53rd of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product